adverb

futilely

futilely, in vain

He tried futilely to open the locked door.

He tried futilely to open the locked door.

((verb)) futilely to (verb) in vain He tried futilely to open the door.

Synonyms: vainly, uselessly, in vain; Antonyms: effectively, successfully

Derived from the adjective 'futile' plus the adverb-forming suffix '-ly'.

Describes acting in a 'futile' way. If the attempt is futile, you are acting futilely.

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