to no avail

Idioms and Phrases

Also, of little or no avail . Of no use or advantage, ineffective, as in All his shouting was to no avail; no one could hear him , or The life jacket was of little or no avail . This idiom uses avail in the sense of “advantage” or “assistance,” a usage dating from the mid-1400s. Also see to little purpose .

Related Words

• fruitless
• hollow
• impractical
• ineffective
• ineffectual
• insufficient
• trivial
• unproductive
• unprofitable
• unsuccessful
• useless
• vain
• worthless