futility
deadening
stultification
impairment
constipation
piss up a rope
pound sand
vain
mug's game
useless
exercise in futility
piffle
blivit
waste of time
nail Jell-O to a tree
fool's errand
undoable
waste of effort
waste of energy
pointlessly
futilely
wish one joy of it
dead donkey
putter around
no use
uselessly
useless as tits on a boar hog
hassle
unfulfillably
waltz
monkeys humping a football
get blood out of a stone
monkey humping a football
impracticably
futilitarian
nugatory
piss in the wind
push against an open door
unavailing
howl at the moon
squirrel cage
failure
lamely
inability
ineffectively
inefficaciously
Sisyphean labour
plow the sands
bite on granite
blivet
fruitlessly
senselessly
nonaccomplishment
unprofitably
make bricks without straw
unproductively
nonachievement
vainly
sprezzatura
wild-goose chase
fol-de-rol
inutility
as much use as a chocolate fireguard
fizzle
baffle
bang one's head against a brick wall
impracticability
bad boy
purposelessly
readiness
facility
impractically
whistle in the wind
bring owls to Athens
time-waster
masturbation
inefficient
dare
worthlessly
unably
vanity
putter about
daring
get over
disabled
fruitless
impiety
give something up as a bad job
grind
ineffectual
fight a losing battle
carry coals to Newcastle
blind alley