Successless

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Lacking any favourable outcome, failing to achieve the goal that was aimed for or attempted
2. Describing an effort or venture that has ended without achieving its intended result
3. Marked by an absence of achievement, where attempts produce no desired or positive result

Etymology: "Successless" is a plain English compound: "success" with the suffix "-less", meaning "without" or "lacking". Attaching "-less" to a noun yields an adjective for something lacking that thing, so "successless" describes an effort, venture or person that has achieved nothing. The suffix itself is an old native English element, and it has been used this way for centuries to create adjectives such as "careless" and "hopeless".