vergeblich
Translation
in vain, futile, fruitless
Examples
Alle Mühe war vergeblich.
All the effort was in vain.
Er versuchte vergeblich, die Tür zu öffnen.
He tried in vain to open the door.
Grammar Patterns
〈sth.〉 is vergeblich 〈sth.〉 is in vain All his effort was in vain.
Similar Words
Synonyms: umsonst, erfolglos; Antonyms: erfolgreich, wirksam
Etymology
Comes from the prefix 'ver-' (often implying a negative outcome) + 'geben' (to give). It suggests something was 'given' but with no result.
Memory Tips
Imagine you 'give' (geben) your all, but the 'ver-' prefix twists the outcome to be negative, hence 'in vain'.