unhelpful

adjective

un·​help·​ful ˌən-ˈhelp-fəl 

Southern often -ˈhep-

also -ˈheəp-

: 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

Daisy hopes that this special moment will redeem the interior’s mistakes — the panty liner, the toilet paper shortage, the delay on the champagne — and Jenna works hard at the sundeck set-up while Mike terrorizes her, cracking unfunny jokes about her decorations and generally being unhelpful. —Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 31 Mar. 2026

Still, Brooks’s turn away from politics and toward a more therapeutic project has not been wholly unhelpful. —Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026

If unhelpful naysayers shove their preferences onto you, just brush them off. —Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 30 Mar. 2026

The present profit forecasts are being flattered by surging estimates for semiconductor and energy companies without yet reflecting any frictional effects of the massive jump in energy, chemical and shipping costs, nor the unhelpful rise in Treasury yields toward the top of their one-year range. —Michael Santoli, CNBC, 30 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1616, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for unhelpful

• helpful