: 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
While cholera hasn't yet reached that crisis point, the bacteria’s ability to adapt means current medications could eventually become useless, experts warn.
—
Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 8 Apr. 2026
The conflict has rendered such predictions useless.
—Kelsey Warner, semafor.com, 8 Apr. 2026
Who Green Noise Can Still Help Green noise isn’t useless.
—Allison Palmer, Kansas City Star, 7 Apr. 2026
Architects and other critics of the project had panned the staircase as too large and basically useless since there was no way to enter the ballroom at the top.
—Darlene Superville, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for useless
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Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 8 Apr. 2026
The conflict has rendered such predictions useless.
—Kelsey Warner, semafor.com, 8 Apr. 2026
Who Green Noise Can Still Help Green noise isn’t useless.
—Allison Palmer, Kansas City Star, 7 Apr. 2026
Architects and other critics of the project had panned the staircase as too large and basically useless since there was no way to enter the ballroom at the top.
—Darlene Superville, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for useless
Cite this Entry
“Useless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/useless. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.
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