Liberal Dictionary English Dictionary
unavailing [uhn-uh-vey-ling] ExamplesWord Origin See more synonyms for unavailing on Thesaurus.com adjective
- ineffectual; futile.
Origin of unavailing First recorded in 1660–70; un-1 + avail + -ing2 Related formsun·a·vail·ing·ly, adverb Related Words for unavailing barren, empty, exhausted, fruitless, idle, impractical, ineffective, ineffectual, trifling, trivial, unproductive, unprofitable, unsuccessful, useless, vain, valueless, worthless Examples from the Web for unavailing Contemporary Examples of unavailing
My efforts to reach Robbins to hear his explanation were unavailing, alas.
Hollywood’s Liberal Heartbreak
Lloyd Grove
January 3, 2010
Efforts to determine when the Massachusetts legislature last felt embarrassed were unavailing.
Adam Clymer
August 26, 2009
Historical Examples of unavailing
The Germans who sought refuge in their dugouts found them unavailing.
The Story of the Great War, Volume III (of VIII)
Various
For a long time his efforts were unavailing; the task seemed hopeless.
Ridgwell Cullum
Regrets, unavailing regrets, are the poorest companions possible.
Joseph C. Lincoln
She put up her hands in mute protest, but the protest was unavailing.
Joseph C. Lincoln
He had made many efforts to escape, but all had been unavailing.
John S. C. Abbott
British Dictionary definitions for unavailing unavailing adjective
- useless or futile
Derived Formsunavailingly, adverb Word Origin and History for unavailing adj.
1660s, from un- (1) “not” + availing. Also see unavailable.