1. (a.) Lacking, or not bearing, fruit; barren; destitute of offspring; as, a fruitless tree or shrub; a fruitless marriage.
2. (a.) Productive of no advantage or good effect; vain; idle; useless; unprofitable; as, a fruitless attempt; a fruitless controversy.
Thesaurus Entries
abortive, acarpous, arid, barren, bootless, celibate, childless, counterproductive, desert, desolate, drained, dried-up, dry, effete, empty, etiolated, exhausted, failed, failing, fallow, fatuitous, fatuous, feckless, foiled, frustrated, futile, gainless, gaunt, gelded, idle, impotent, inadequate, inane, ineffective, ineffectual, inefficacious, infecund, infertile, inoperative, invalid, issueless, jejune, lame, leached, manque, menopausal, miscarried, miscarrying, nonfertile, nonproducing, nonproductive, nonprolific, nonremunerative, nugacious, nugatory, of no effect, of no force, otiose, pointless, profitless, rewardless, sine prole, sterile, stickit, stillborn, successless, sucked dry, teemless, thwarted, unavailable, unavailing, uncultivated, unfertile, unfortunate, unfruitful, unplowed, unproductive, unprofitable, unprolific, unremunerative, unrewarding, unsown, unsuccessful, untilled, useless, vain, virgin, waste, wasted, without issue, worthless
