: 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
Pattinson plays the character’s increasingly useless husband.
—
Zack Sharf, Variety, 5 Nov. 2025
My French was useless—I was also considered a tourist by association.
—Lane Nieset, Travel + Leisure, 2 Nov. 2025
Johnson was shocked by how many parents said school was boring, useless or that kids could learn more on vacation.
—Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
Keeping one without the other seems useless, but keeping both of them seems like an impasse waiting to happen.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for useless
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Zack Sharf, Variety, 5 Nov. 2025
My French was useless—I was also considered a tourist by association.
—Lane Nieset, Travel + Leisure, 2 Nov. 2025
Johnson was shocked by how many parents said school was boring, useless or that kids could learn more on vacation.
—Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
Keeping one without the other seems useless, but keeping both of them seems like an impasse waiting to happen.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2025
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 Nov. 2025.
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