# pointless

/ˈpɔɪntɫəs/ (US) · /pˈɔɪntləs/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/pointless
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. useless or without purpose

adjective · CEFR B2

having no clear reason or purpose; a waste of time and effort.

For teachers: lacking a functional purpose, meaning, or utility; often used to describe futile actions or redundant arguments.

- It is pointless to argue with him when he has already made up his mind.
- The committee spent hours debating minor clerical details, a pointless exercise that delayed the project's launch by several weeks.

### 2. not sharp

adjective · CEFR C1 · Formal

not having a sharp end or tip.

For teachers: lacking a sharp point or tapering tip; terminating in a rounded or blunt end.

- The artist used a pointless tool to smooth the clay without scratching it.
- For safety reasons, the historical re-enactors were required to use pointless swords during the public demonstration.

### 3. having no score

adjective · CEFR C2 · Technical

having no points in a game or competition.

For teachers: characterised by a lack of points or score in a competitive context.

- The team finished the season pointless after losing every single match.
- Despite several near-misses in the final quarter, the underdog remained pointless as the whistle blew to end the match.

### 4. programming style

adjective · CEFR C2 · Technical

a way of writing computer code that does not name the data it is working on.

For teachers: referring to the tacit programming paradigm where function definitions do not explicitly identify their arguments.

- Some developers find pointless code harder to read because the variables are hidden.
- While pointless style can lead to concise functional expressions, it often obscures the data flow for those unfamiliar with the codebase.

## Examples

- It is pointless to argue with someone who will not listen.
- The meeting felt pointless because the manager had already made the final decision before we arrived.
- Critics argued that the new regulations were entirely pointless, as they failed to address the underlying economic issues that caused the crisis in the first place.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.