: having or being of no use:
a
: ineffectual
a useless attempt
b
: not able to give service or aid : inept
uselessly
adverb
uselessness
noun
Synonyms
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
Many people believe that only spam, junk or generally ‘useless’ emails end up in the spam folder.
—
Tyler Shepherd, USA TODAY, 5 Apr. 2024
Cash printed in the morning was useless by the afternoon.
—Washington Post, 4 Apr. 2024
And solar storms can interfere with the Earth’s magnetic field, rendering that sense useless.
—Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 1 Apr. 2024
As the Kremlin finds creative ways to evade government sanctions, marginal improvements in the Russian economy have led some critics to wrongly declare that all economic sanctions are ineffectual and useless.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 22 Mar. 2024
Everything in America is falling apart as Democrats focus on 'useless woke virtue signaling'.
—Fox News, 29 Mar. 2024
That definition is so broad and so vague as to be useless.
—Katha Pollitt, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2024
Choosing the wrong test may be useless, and a waste of time and money.
—Brandon Peters, Verywell Health, 21 Mar. 2024
The Justice Department alleges that Apple is using its wearable as yet another tool in its kit to ensure that people choose another iPhone whenever upgrade time rolls around — and not an Android device, where the Apple Watch would be useless.
—Chris Welch, The Verge, 21 Mar. 2024
Tyler Shepherd, USA TODAY, 5 Apr. 2024
Cash printed in the morning was useless by the afternoon.
—Washington Post, 4 Apr. 2024
And solar storms can interfere with the Earth’s magnetic field, rendering that sense useless.
—Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 1 Apr. 2024
As the Kremlin finds creative ways to evade government sanctions, marginal improvements in the Russian economy have led some critics to wrongly declare that all economic sanctions are ineffectual and useless.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 22 Mar. 2024
Everything in America is falling apart as Democrats focus on 'useless woke virtue signaling'.
—Fox News, 29 Mar. 2024
That definition is so broad and so vague as to be useless.
—Katha Pollitt, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2024
Choosing the wrong test may be useless, and a waste of time and money.
—Brandon Peters, Verywell Health, 21 Mar. 2024
The Justice Department alleges that Apple is using its wearable as yet another tool in its kit to ensure that people choose another iPhone whenever upgrade time rolls around — and not an Android device, where the Apple Watch would be useless.
—Chris Welch, The Verge, 21 Mar. 2024
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
Articles Related to useless
Dictionary Entries Near useless
Cite this Entry
“Useless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/useless. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
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More from Merriam-Webster on useless
Nglish: Translation of useless for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of useless for Arabic Speakers
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