useless
Americanadjective
-
of no use; not serving the purpose or any purpose; unavailing or futile.
It is useless to reason with him.
- Synonyms:
- inutile, worthless, valueless, profitless, fruitless
- Antonyms:
- effective
-
without useful qualities; of no practical good.
a useless person; a useless gadget.
- Synonyms:
- unusable, unserviceable
adjective
-
having no practical use or advantage
-
informal ineffectual, weak, or stupid
he's useless at history
Synonym Usage
Useless, futile, ineffectual, vain refer to that which is unavailing. That is useless which is unavailing because of the circumstances of the case or some inherent defect: It is useless to cry over spilt milk. Futile suggests wasted effort and complete failure to attain a desired end: All attempts were futile. That which is ineffectual weakly applies energy in an ill-advised way and does not produce a desired effect: an ineffectual effort. That which is vain is fruitless or hopeless even after all possible effort: It is vain to keep on hoping.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of useless
Explanation
When all else fails, you still have the word useless. Use this adjective when nothing is working and there is no hope of improvement. Less means "without." So something that is useless has no use or value, at least at the present time. Long ago, many blacksmiths concluded it was useless to try to get by making horseshoes after the automobile caught on. Their tools and supplies? Useless, so they thought. They moved on to other careers. Some even bought Fords. Fast forward about a hundred years. Ask antiques dealers if is it useless to present artifacts for sale to history buffs.
Vocabulary lists containing useless
Good Riddance
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Beowulf vocabulary
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Talk Like Shakespeare Day, List 8
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
That clamp down targeted narratives that suggested studying and hard work were "useless", as well as content that promoted "world-weariness".
From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026
Physical encyclopedias and textbooks were rendered virtually useless.
From Salon • May 30, 2026
The fact that everything I've done means nothing, in this day and age it's useless.
From BBC • May 28, 2026
Another refrain is that Shibumis are useless in still air.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 23, 2026
Beyond the nondescript door was a long, winding hallway, impossibly long and entirely useless.
From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny
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.
