निरर्थक (nirarthak)

adjective A formal adjective meaning 'meaningless' or 'pointless' -- used for statements, actions, or efforts that carry no purpose or value.
Sense 1 : meaningless, pointless, without purpose
adjective
Synonyms: बेकार (bekaar), बेमतलब (bematlab), व्यर्थ (vyarth), फ़िज़ूल (fizool)
Frequency: low
Cultural Note: This word has a distinctly written, educated register -- you will meet it in essays, editorials, and formal speech (e.g. निरर्थक बहस (nirarthak bahas, 'pointless argument')) far more often than in casual chat, where बेकार (bekaar) or बेमतलब (bematlab) would be the natural choice.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for बेकार (bekaar) in every context, but निरर्थक (nirarthak) is more bookish and tends to describe words, arguments, or exercises that lack sense or logical content, rather than things that are simply 'useless' or 'a waste' in a practical sense -- बेकार (bekaar) fits the latter better. 2) It is invariant in form (does not change for gender or number), unlike ordinary -आ adjectives, so learners sometimes wrongly try to inflect it as निरर्थकी (nirarthkii) or similar.
Sample Sentences:
यह बहस पूरी तरह से निरर्थक है। This argument is completely meaningless.
(yah bahas poorii tarah se nirarthak hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
बिना उद्देश्य के जीवन निरर्थक लगता है। Without a purpose, life seems meaningless.
(binaa uddeshy ke jiivan nirarthak lagtaa hai।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
संपादक ने लेख को निरर्थक बताकर खारिज कर दिया। The editor dismissed the article, calling it meaningless.
(sampaadak ne lekh ko nirarthak bataakar khaarij kar diyaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
यदि यह प्रयास निरर्थक होता, तो हम इसे कभी शुरू ही न करते। If this effort had been meaningless, we would never have started it.
(yadi yah prayaas nirarthak hotaa, to ham ise kabhii shuroo hii n karte।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
आलोचक ने पूरी योजना को निरर्थक करार दिया। The critic declared the entire plan meaningless.
(aalochak ne poorii yojnaa ko nirarthak karaar diyaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
क्या यह नियम अब निरर्थक नहीं हो गया है? Hasn't this rule become meaningless by now?
(kyaa yah niyam ab nirarthak nahiin ho gayaa hai?)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
संपादकीय में इस निरर्थक बहस पर कड़ी टिप्पणी की गई। In the editorial, a sharp comment was made on this pointless argument.
(sampaadkiiy men is nirarthak bahas par kadii tippnii kii gaii।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
ऐसे निरर्थक तर्कों में समय मत बर्बाद करो। Don't waste time on such meaningless arguments.
(aise nirarthak tarkon men samay mat barbaad karo।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
विद्वानों का मानना है कि उद्देश्यहीन कर्म निरर्थक होता है। Scholars believe that purposeless action is meaningless.
(vidvaanon kaa maannaa hai ki uddeshyahiin karm nirarthak hotaa hai।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Adjective (invariant)
invariant: निरर्थक (nirarthak)