useless

adjective

use·​less ˈyüs-ləs 

: 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

Synonyms of useless

• impractical
• unusable
• unsuitable

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

David Shnaiderov, who directs the Nuclear Quantum division at Quantum X Labs, pointed out that simulating particle transport is useless without a practical way to represent real physical shapes. — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 4 Sep. 2026

However, this doesn’t mean the devices are completely useless. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 2 Sep. 2026

Leading models aren’t completely useless at handling Cantonese. — Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026

Built-ins designed for Pinterest, not your daily routine, will quickly look dated and feel useless. — Angelika Pokovba, Martha Stewart, 26 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1593, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

useless

adjective

use·​less ˈyüs-ləs 

: having or being of no use

uselessly adverb

uselessness noun