useless

adjective

use·​less ˈyüs-ləs How to pronounce useless (audio)
Synonyms of uselessnext
: having or being of no use:
a
: ineffectual
a useless attempt
b
: not doing or not able to do what is needed
a dull, useless knife
An antibiotic is useless in treating this disease.
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Preliminary tests of the model conducted by NBC News, along with many examples shared on social media, found Anthropic’s protections took a broad view of potential suspicious activity, rendering the system useless for many mundane queries. Jared Perlo, NBC news, 11 June 2026 Resident Raymond Hanley said his concern is that anti-pollution systems that Silverman would install in its parking lots and roadways could become useless if property maintenance is cut back in the future. Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 11 June 2026 Radical approaches to what is precious and what is worthless—or appraisal—have always been more than the inversion of that which is useless made priceless, what was originally meant to be ephemeral made timeless. Literary Hub, 8 June 2026 The DIYers weren't much more successful, as half of those attempts were either useless or made the problem even worse. Alora Bopray, USA Today, 8 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for useless

Word History

First Known Use

1593, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of useless was in 1593

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Cite this Entry

“Useless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/useless. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.

Kids Definition

useless

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

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