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.

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worthless British  

/ ˈwɜːθlɪs /

adjective

1. without practical value or usefulness

2. without merit; good-for-nothing

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Other Word Forms

• worthlessly adverb
• worthlessness noun

Etymology

Origin of worthless

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

Example Sentences

"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

“A moment ago you were afraid it would be ruined. Now you say it is worthless. I find your arguments somewhat contradictory.”

From Literature

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

From Barron's

The subprime loans at the bottom of their gamble were worthless, he argued, and if the loans were worthless, the insurance they owned on those loans should go nowhere but up.

From Literature

Related Words

• barren
• bogus
• futile
• inconsequential
• ineffective
• insignificant
• meaningless
• mediocre
• pointless
• unimportant
• unproductive
• unprofitable
• unusable
• useless