worthless

adjective

worth·​less ˈwərth-ləs 

1

a

: lacking worth : valueless

worthless currency

b

: useless

worthless to continue searching

2

: contemptible, despicable

a worthless criminal

worthlessly adverb

worthlessness noun

Synonyms of worthless

• empty
• valueless
• cheap
• flawed
• no-good
• vain

Examples of worthless in a Sentence

The boots may be nice, but they're worthless if they don't fit you.

She's depressed and believes that she's worthless.

Recent Examples on the Web

Fraud tools aren’t worthless, but too many merchants discover their limitations the hard way. — Wayne Hamilton, Forbes.com, 25 Sep. 2026

The max loss of the position is $486, hit if Nvidia remains between $220 and $235 and the long legs expire worthless. — Julia Spina, CNBC, 22 Sep. 2026

Inflation has reached absurd heights, the Lebanese pound is all but worthless, and the government shuts off the electricity for more than half of each day. — Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2026

Therefore, at current depletion rates, most of Venezuela’s oil reserves are worthless. — Steve H. Hanke, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1577, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

worthless

adjective

worth·​less ˈwərth-ləs 

1

a

: lacking worth : valueless

b

: useless

worthless to continue searching

2

: deserving of hatred or pity

a worthless coward

worthlessly adverb

worthlessness noun