zwecklos
pointless
Describes an action or attempt that cannot have a goal or success and is therefore pointless.
EXAMPLE
Jeder Versuch, ihn vom Gegenteil zu überzeugen, war zwecklos.
Every attempt to convince him otherwise was pointless.
zwecklos
pointless
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Meanings
Usage tips
Word structure
The word is made up of the noun 'der Zweck' (purpose, aim) and the ending '-los' (without). So 'zwecklos' literally means 'without a purpose' or 'without sense'.
EXAMPLE
Ohne den richtigen Schlüssel ist jeder Versuch, die Tür zu öffnen, zwecklos.
Without the right key, every attempt to open the door is pointless.
Sentence structure with infinitive
A very common construction is 'Es ist zwecklos, etwas zu tun' (It is pointless to do something). After the comma comes an infinitive clause with 'zu'.
EXAMPLE
Es ist zwecklos, bei diesem Regen auf den Bus zu warten.
It is pointless to wait for the bus in this rain.
Typical collocations
'Zwecklos' often describes actions or efforts. Typical combinations are 'ein zweckloser Versuch' (a pointless attempt), 'eine zwecklose Debatte' (a pointless debate), or the well-known phrase 'Widerstand ist zwecklos' (Resistance is futile).
EXAMPLE
Nach einer Stunde gaben wir die zwecklose Suche auf.
After an hour, we gave up the pointless search.
Compare with
zwecklos vs umsonst
free / in vain
Both words can describe an action or attempt that is unsuccessful. „Umsonst“ mainly refers to the hoped-for result not being achieved. „Zwecklos“, by contrast, assesses the action itself as not worthwhile or as having no prospect of success. If an attempt makes no sense at all, „zwecklos“ is more suitable.
zwecklos
Bei diesem starken Regen ist es zwecklos, die Wäsche draußen aufzuhängen.
In this heavy rain, it is pointless to hang the laundry outside.
umsonst
Ich wartete eine Stunde auf ihn, aber das Warten war umsonst.
I waited for him for an hour, but the wait was in vain.
In real life
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