: 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
The dog whose paw was bleeding was lame, effectively useless to him.
—
Ben Taub, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
Chocolates and tchotchkes are fun but overdone, and oftentimes, totally useless.
—Alyssa Grabinski, PEOPLE, 21 Nov. 2025
The Glinda Embossed Signature Round Dutch Oven ($450), meanwhile, features Glinda wielding her (useless) sparkly wand and butterflies.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 20 Nov. 2025
For years now, womenswear designers have been delivering us long, thin (and often useless) scarves—harking all the way back to early-aughts Chloé and Marc Jacobs days, when boho-chic ruled the runways.
—Christian Allaire, Vogue, 19 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for useless
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Ben Taub, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
Chocolates and tchotchkes are fun but overdone, and oftentimes, totally useless.
—Alyssa Grabinski, PEOPLE, 21 Nov. 2025
The Glinda Embossed Signature Round Dutch Oven ($450), meanwhile, features Glinda wielding her (useless) sparkly wand and butterflies.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 20 Nov. 2025
For years now, womenswear designers have been delivering us long, thin (and often useless) scarves—harking all the way back to early-aughts Chloé and Marc Jacobs days, when boho-chic ruled the runways.
—Christian Allaire, Vogue, 19 Nov. 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 30 Nov. 2025.
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