useless

adjective

use·​less ˈyüs-ləs How to pronounce useless (audio)
: having or being of no use:
a
: ineffectual
a useless attempt
b
: not able to give service or aid : inept
uselessly adverb
uselessness noun

Examples of useless in a Sentence

The tent is useless in wet conditions. I made a useless attempt at fixing the leak. Drugs are useless in treating the condition.
Recent Examples on the Web So in simple terms, all those ultimate focused builds are now pretty useless. Mike Stubbs, Forbes, 15 Sep. 2024 But that’s all changing—candidates and recruiters are caught up in a kind of AI arms race in which each side is leveraging the technology in new ways that makes the old methods nearly useless. Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2024 Hundreds of men, many from out of town, moved throughout the Sixth Ward, overwhelming polling places so that the work of Republican and independent inspectors would be useless. Sasha Issenberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Sep. 2024 Few things in modern news media are as useless as the journalist who insists a legitimate news story is not, in fact, a legitimate news story. Becket Adams, National Review, 1 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for useless 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'useless.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1593, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of useless was in 1593

Dictionary Entries Near useless

Cite this Entry

“Useless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/useless. Accessed 20 Sep. 2024.

Kids Definition

useless

adjective
use·​less ˈyüs-ləs How to pronounce useless (audio)
: having or being of no use
uselessly adverb
uselessness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on useless

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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