: 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 screenplay also has a passing reference to Evy’s useless, off-screen boyfriend Darren (voiced by Ryan Turner).
—
Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2026
The wetlands had been sold decades earlier as useless swamp, mostly to unsuspecting northerners with little regard for the powerful benefits that wetlands provide humans.
—Jenny Staletovich, Miami Herald, 10 Mar. 2026
The free antivirus was completely useless, and her computer could have been exposed to all sorts of nasty malware.
—Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 10 Mar. 2026
All of this, of course, if they were not immediately deemed useless and sent to death and cremation facilities.
—Barbara Byer, Sun Sentinel, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for useless
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Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2026
The wetlands had been sold decades earlier as useless swamp, mostly to unsuspecting northerners with little regard for the powerful benefits that wetlands provide humans.
—Jenny Staletovich, Miami Herald, 10 Mar. 2026
The free antivirus was completely useless, and her computer could have been exposed to all sorts of nasty malware.
—Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 10 Mar. 2026
All of this, of course, if they were not immediately deemed useless and sent to death and cremation facilities.
—Barbara Byer, Sun Sentinel, 10 Mar. 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 13 Mar. 2026.
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