futile exercise

collocation in English

meaningsoffutileandexercise

These words are often used together. Click on the links below to explore the meanings. Or,see other collocations withexercise.
futile
adjective
uk
/ˈfjuː.taɪl/us
/ˈfjuː.t̬əl/
(of actions) having no effect or ...
See more atfutile
exercise
noun
uk
/ˈek.sə.saɪz/us
/ˈek.sɚ.saɪz/
physical activity that you do to make your body strong ...
See more atexercise

(Definition offutileandexercisefrom theCambridge English Dictionary© Cambridge University Press)

Examplesoffutile exercise

These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.
However, business and strategic planning was often "perceived to be afutileexercise" which "can often take a low priority alongside the clinical workload".
From theCambridge English Corpus
To seek to identify whether components flow one way or another is probably afutileexercise.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
The whole thing is afutileexercisewhich will cause everybody a good deal of trouble.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
The fact that provision is not increased makes that afutileexercise, particularly in the areas of very high unemployment and of housing stresses.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
What other argument can be advanced for thisfutileexerciseof keeping these women in prison at a cost of£80 a week to the taxpayer?
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
I have always regarded privatisation as a prettyfutileexercise.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
Anything less is afutileexerciseand a complete waste of parliamentary time.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
But it is worth repeating that it is afutileexerciseto send people to prison at huge cost to the state.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
Blaming the victim is an obnoxious practice and is always an unproductive andfutileexercise.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
That would be to apply public funds in afutileexercise.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
In a sense, this is a ratherfutileexercise.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
If there is not a ship on patrol all the time, thisfutileexerciseis reduced to the level of farce.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
But to limit that for the large county, city and borough authorities is afutileexercise.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
Does he agree that to attempt constantly to move economic resources around arbitrarily where they do not want to go is afutileexerciseanyway?
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
It would make the discussion of a non-aggression treaty afutileexercise.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
I think that this is a prettyfutileexercise.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
It is a pointless and afutileexerciseto consider what may or may not have happened in different circumstances.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
It is, from the beginning, an utterlyfutileexercise.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
I do not accept that helping a considerable number of households with what may be very high electricity bills is afutileexercise.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
As a result, we are debating an order with only about eight months to run, which is afutileexercise.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.
Want to learn more?
Go to the definition offutile
Go to the definition ofexercise
See other collocations withexercise