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Synonyms

worthless

American  
[wurth-lis] / ˈwɜrθ lɪs /

adjective

  1. without worth; of no use, importance, or value; good-for-nothing.

    a worthless person; a worthless contract.
worthless British  
/ ˈwɜːθlɪs /

adjective

  1. without practical value or usefulness

  2. without merit; good-for-nothing

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • worthlessly adverb
  • worthlessness noun

Etymology

Origin of worthless

First recorded in 1580–90; worth 1 + -less

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"It's taken the pleasure out of us living here and it's devalued our home, it's become worthless."

From BBC

“I couldn’t help feeling that much of my education is now worthless,” the paper quoted one scientist as saying.

From The Wall Street Journal

They have bought hedges and stocks have rallied, rendering the trade worthless.

From Barron's

While many individual stocks have ended up worthless, the broader market as represented by the S&P 500 has generally trended higher over time.

From MarketWatch

Not when the word of Senate Republicans has been proven worthless time and again.

From Salon

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.