- 1沒意義的、白費的
If something is pointless, it has no good reason and is not likely to help. "It is pointless to argue" means the argument will not change anything, so why do it? The point here is not a sharp tip. It is the same point as in "What's the point?" — purpose, use, the reason for bothering. People use it a lot in everyday talk, a little more strongly than "not useful." Calling a meeting or a film pointless is a blunt, slightly impatient judgement. It is ordinary English, not fancy and not rude on its own, though it can sound sharp if you say it to the person who planned the thing. Though actually, you can also call a stick pointless when it has no sharp end, but that use is rare. Almost every time you hear this word, it is about purpose, not shape.
From the word’s history
From Middle English pointles; point + -less.
源自中古英文 pointles，就是 point 加 -less「沒有」。
組成point + -less. From Middle English pointles. The point here is purpose, not a sharp tip.
同家族的字
- pointhere, purpose or use, as in "what's the point?"
- pointlesslythe adverb: doing something in a pointless way
- pointlessnessthe noun: the quality of having no purpose
原始詞典資料6 筆記錄
以下是外部詞典記錄的用法，摘錄並精簡格式，我們還沒有寫成教學內容。上面的說明才是我們自己寫的；有些用法可能上面已經講過了。
pointlessadj/ˈpɔɪntləs/
- 1
Having no point or sharp tip; terminating squarely or in a rounded end.
- a pointless sword
- a pointless knife
- 2
Having no prominent or important feature, as of an argument, discourse, etc.
- a pointless remark
- The sequel to the film was even more pointless than the original
- 3
Having no purpose; purposeless; unable to effect an aim.
- Since the decision has already been made, further discussion seems pointless.
- The latter, however, showed in the 1890s that the issue had become pointless, as by then no power could arrest the development of capitalism and the decline of the obshchina.
- 4
gameshobbieslifestyleHaving no points
- After four matches and four defeats, United remain pointless at the foot of the table.
- 5
mathematicssciencesWithout points.
- a pointless topology
- 6
derogatorycomputingengineeringmathematicsPoint-free; employing the tacit programming paradigm.
摘錄自 英文維基詞典 English Wiktionary，已精簡格式；依 CC BY-SA 4.0 授權使用，改動後的內容同樣以此授權提供。