unhelpful

adjective

un·​help·​ful ˌən-ˈhelp-fəl How to pronounce unhelpful (audio)
Southern often -ˈhep-
also -ˈheəp-
Synonyms of unhelpfulnext
: offering no assistance : not helpful
a rude, unhelpful person
a confusing and unhelpful textbook
unhelpfully adverb
unhelpfulness noun

Examples of unhelpful in a Sentence

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.
Epstein library search function unhelpful Congress directed that the Epstein records be publicly searchable. Bart Jansen, USA Today, 19 Dec. 2025 Once again, negative perceptions have been fueled by Beijing’s lack of transparency as well as its unhelpful tendency to blur boundaries between state and commercial actors. Zongyuan Zoe Liu, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025 These consisted of different types of cognitive behavioral therapy, which often involves talking with a therapist to change unhelpful thinking patterns and identify behaviors that affect mood and stress. Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 11 Dec. 2025 American tourists still feel to me like a liberation army that got stuck in its pattern of conquering and inventorying and now, almost a century in, has grown cumbersome, bloated, unhelpful. Francesco Pacifico, The Dial, 9 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for unhelpful

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1616, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unhelpful was circa 1616

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unhelpful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unhelpful. Accessed 24 Dec. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on unhelpful

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!