needless

American  

[need-lis] / ˈnid lɪs /

adjective

1. unnecessary; not needed or wanted.

   a needless waste of food.

   Synonyms:

   uncalled-for, pointless, gratuitous, unessential

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needless British  

/ ˈniːdlɪs /

adjective

1. not required or desired; unnecessary

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Other Word Forms

• needlessly adverb
• needlessness noun

Etymology

Origin of needless

First recorded in 1175–1225, needless is from the Middle English word nedles. See need, -less

Explanation

Something needless isn't required, necessary, or wanted. If you haven't touched that plastic back scratcher since Christmas 1992, it's probably needless. If your mom frets every time you walk out the door, you can assure her that it's needless worry — you'll be fine. And buying extremely pricey underwear might seem to be a needless expense — who cares how fancy your underwear is? Needless comes from need and its Old English root nied, "necessity."

Example Sentences

So the question is, how many needless penalty strokes do amateurs rack up that pros don’t, just because we have to find our own balls?

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026

The White House said that the changes were “not driven by the desire to increase tariff revenue,” but to “better align incentives to what we are trying to accomplish while reducing needless complexity.”

From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026

There are no needless digressions, and their architecture is as robust and tightly engineered as their characters are fully fleshed.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 2, 2026

Characters on “The Pitt” and “St. Denis Medical” contend with similar frustrations, demonstrating that needless bureaucracy is bad for everybody’s health.

From Salon • Feb. 26, 2026

Don Apolinar Moscote, his wife, and his six daughters, needless to say, were on the list.

From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Related Words

• excessive
• gratuitous
• pointless