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Synonyms

needless

American  
[need-lis] / ˈnid lɪs /

adjective

  1. unnecessary; not needed or wanted.

    a needless waste of food.
    Synonyms:
    uncalled-for, pointless, gratuitous, unessential
needless British  
/ ˈniːdlɪs /

adjective

  1. not required or desired; unnecessary

"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

  • needlessly adverb
  • needlessness noun

Etymology

Origin of needless

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

A £4m-a-year lease for a prison that has been empty for 18 months has been a "needless waste of taxpayers' money", a report from MPs found.

From BBC

But, needless to say, you wouldn’t want to eat here either.

From The Wall Street Journal

Martin gave his word, and breaking it is a needless distraction and blemish on the party.

From Los Angeles Times

Another repealed a needless Environmental Protection Agency rule on rubber tire manufacturing, while another nixed a Treasury rule eliminating expedited review for bank mergers.

From The Wall Street Journal

Still, the shots played by Brook, Jacks and Ollie Pope, and the needless run out of Stokes, were gifts to Australia.

From BBC

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.