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Synonyms

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.
worthless British  
/ ˈwɜːθlɪs /

adjective

  1. without practical value or usefulness

  2. without merit; good-for-nothing

"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

  • worthlessly adverb
  • worthlessness noun

Etymology

Origin of worthless

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

In the glow of a ring light, he tosses off glib advice that might itself be worthless.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

Medicines can stop pain, fight cancer and save lives but are worthless if they get lost in the mail, spoil in a hot warehouse or are stuck on a ship.

From Barron's • Apr. 5, 2026

Bear Stearns’s funds were leveraged at a 3-to-1 ratio, stuffed with opaque collateralized debt obligations tied to a collapsing housing market, and the assets ultimately proved nearly worthless.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 3, 2026

A democratic state must never treat any citizen as entirely worthless.

From Slate • Feb. 24, 2026

“It was worthless to her. She was throwing it away.”

From "Orphan Train" by Christina Baker Kline

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.