erfolglos
unsuccessful
Without the desired success; not leading to the goal.
EXAMPLE
Nach mehreren erfolglosen Versuchen gab er schließlich auf.
After several unsuccessful attempts, he finally gave up.
erfolglos
unsuccessful
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Meanings
Usage tips
Word composition
The word is easy to understand if you know its structure: it consists of 'der Erfolg' (success) and the ending '-los' (-less), which means 'without.' 'Erfolglos' (unsuccessful) therefore literally means 'without success.'
EXAMPLE
Leider war meine Jobsuche bisher völlig erfolglos.
Unfortunately, my job search has been completely unsuccessful so far.
Use with 'bleiben'
'Erfolglos' (unsuccessful) is very often used as an adverb in combination with the verb 'bleiben' (to remain). The construction 'etwas bleibt erfolglos' (something remains unsuccessful) expresses that an effort produced no result.
EXAMPLE
Die Suche nach dem vermissten Hund blieb leider erfolglos.
The search for the missing dog unfortunately remained unsuccessful.
Typical collocations
As an adjective, 'erfolglos' (unsuccessful) often describes nouns that express an effort or attempt. Typical combinations are 'ein erfolgloser Versuch' (an unsuccessful attempt), 'eine erfolglose Suche' (an unsuccessful search), or 'erfolglose Bemühungen' (unsuccessful efforts).
EXAMPLE
Seine erfolglose Bewerbung hat ihn sehr entmutigt.
His unsuccessful application discouraged him a lot.
Compare with
erfolglos vs umsonst
free / in vain
Both words can describe a search or attempt that is unsuccessful. „Erfolglos“ neutrally reports that the goal was not achieved, while „umsonst“ usually emphasizes that the effort made was in vain. „Erfolglos“ fits a factual statement, while „umsonst“ focuses on the wasted effort.
erfolglos
Wir suchten den ganzen Nachmittag nach der Adresse, aber die Suche blieb erfolglos.
We spent the whole afternoon looking for the address, but the search was unsuccessful.
umsonst
Wir suchten den ganzen Nachmittag nach der Adresse, aber die Mühe war umsonst.
We spent the whole afternoon looking for the address, but our effort was in vain.
In real life
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