dead loss

noun

1. informal,  a person, thing, or situation that is completely useless or unprofitable

2. a complete loss for which no compensation is received

Idioms and Phrases

A total loss, as in They've changed the currency, so these old coins are a dead loss . [Early 1700s]

A worthless person or thing; also, an utter waste of time. For example, With an injured knee he's a dead loss to the team , or It rained every day, so our week at the beach was a dead loss . [1920s]

Example Sentences

“If Putin knows that deploying hundreds of thousands of his armed forces in Ukraine is going to be a dead loss because they are so poorly commanded and poorly equipped, then he is going to be looking for ways of visiting death and destruction on Ukraine from a greater distance,” Smith said — and that raises significant questions for Ukraine’s Western allies.

Read more on Seattle Times

“Coach Tuberville was as surprised as anyone to learn Stroud had lost all the money, including Coach’s. He never received a dime; it was a dead loss for him and his family,” Mr. McDonald said.

Read more on New York Times

“He never received a dime - it was a dead loss for him and his family between his initial investment, legal fees and eventual settlement.”

Read more on Washington Times

However, though psychics may think they offer a harmless coping mechanism for grief, “at best, it is reckless for a stranger to take a stab at ventriloquizing the dead. Loss is complicated, and mourning doesn’t look the same for everyone,” Oliver said.

Read more on The Guardian

As a navigational tool, the Mappa Mundi would clearly be a dead loss.

Read more on The New Yorker