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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.

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

Eisenhower's version was "plans are worthless, but planning is everything."

From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026

If anything proves the market value of seemingly worthless ephemera, Walker added, it’s fans clawing for printed set lists at the end of a concert.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 2, 2026

All of these, without exception, are completely worthless and should be ignored.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 24, 2026

It was getting dark when she came upon the trail, worthless and pocked rut that it was.

From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead

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.