Dictionary

useless en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /ˈɪʊs.ləs/ (Wales)
• /ˈjuːs.ləs/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (US) audio
• /ˈjʉːs.ləs/ (Australia, New-Zealand)
• /ˈjʉs.ləs/ (Northern-Ireland, Scotland)
• /ˈjus.ləs/ (Canada, General-American)
• /ˈjʉws.ləs/ (British, Southern, Standard)

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₃eyt-der.? Proto-Italic *oitōr Latin ūtor Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Italic *-tus Latin -tus Latin ūsus Old French usbor. Middle English use English use Proto-Indo-European *lewh₁- Proto-Indo-European *lewHs-der. Proto-Germanic *leusaną Proto-Germanic *lausaz Proto-Germanic *-lausaz Proto-West Germanic *-laus Old English -lēas Middle English -les English -less English useless From use + -less.

Meanings

1. Without use or the possibility to be used.
   • I'm all for opening new stations (Transport Scotland is planning another at East Linton, about halfway between Drem and Dunbar), but they are useless without a decent service. 2021 June 30, Philip Haigh, “Regional trains squeezed as ECML congestion heads north”, in RAIL, number 934, page 53:
   • This fork's prongs are bent. It's useless now.
2. Unhelpful, not useful; pointless (of an action).
   • I think it's useless to keep this discussion going. It's like talking to a brick wall.
   • I tried my best to make him quit smoking, but my efforts were useless. He now smokes six packs a day.
3. (derogatory, of a person) Good-for-nothing; not dependable.
   • Bill never mows the lawn, takes out the trash or anything. He's useless, but I love him anyways.
4. (colloquial, derogatory) Of a person, Unable to do well at a particular task or endeavor.
   • Why do you keep trying? You're obviously useless at it.
   • My brother is useless at most computer games, but he is an awesome PS2 player.

Forms

Antonyms

useful · skillful

Deriveds

useless eater · uselessly · useless lesbian · useless class · useless as tits on a bull · uselessness · useless as teats on a boar hog · useless as tits on a boar hog · Uselessnet

Synonyms

good-for-nothing (good-for-nothing) · void · unskillful (unable to do well) · unusable · unutilizable

Translations (153)

ckb بێ سوود (without use or possibility to be used) · eu baliogabe (without use or possibility to be used) · hi बेकार (without use or possibility to be used) · no unyttig (unable to do well) · sv obrukbar (without use or possibility to be used) · grc ἀχρεῖος (without use or possibility to be used) · ang unnytt (without use or possibility to be used) · ja 無用な (without use or possibility to be used) · id payah (unable to do well) · gd gun fheum (unable to do well) · ckb ھیچوپوچ (unable to do well) · da ubrugelig (without use or possibility to be used) · pt péssimo (unable to do well) · yue 冇鬼用 (unable to do well) · ar عَدِيمُ الْفَائِدَةِ (without use or possibility to be used) · ps بې کاره (without use or possibility to be used) · de unnütz (unable to do well) · ko 소용가 없다 (without use or possibility to be used) · it inutile (without use or possibility to be used) · ro nefolositor (without use or possibility to be used) · bg безсмислен (unhelpful, pointless) · es inútil (good-for-nothing, not dependable) · nrf innutile (without use or possibility to be used) · de unnütz (good-for-nothing, not dependable) · ru никчёмный (unable to do well) · is gagnslaus (without use or possibility to be used) · pdt daugeniksich (without use or possibility to be used) · sv oduglig (good-for-nothing, not dependable) · de sinnlos (unhelpful, pointless) · es inútil (unable to do well) · pdt nutzlooss (without use or possibility to be used) · de nutzlos (without use or possibility to be used) · bg безполе́зен (without use or possibility to be used) · sv oanvändbar (without use or possibility to be used) · tr faydasız (without use or possibility to be used) · ka უსარგებლო (without use or possibility to be used) · mk некористен (without use or possibility to be used) · fa بی فایده (without use or possibility to be used) · haw makehewa (without use or possibility to be used) · ast inútil (without use or possibility to be used) · fr bon à rien (good-for-nothing, not dependable) · cmn 無用 /无用 (without use or possibility to be used) · ro inutil (without use or possibility to be used) · ckb بێ کەڵک (unable to do well) · ceb walay gamit (good-for-nothing, not dependable) · fi kelvoton (unable to do well) · pt inútil (without use or possibility to be used) · sv hopplös (good-for-nothing, not dependable) · it inutile (unhelpful, pointless) · got 𐌿𐌽𐌽𐌿𐍄𐍃 (without use or possibility to be used) · ja 下手 (unable to do well) · ceb walay gamit (unhelpful, pointless) · fi kelvoton (without use or possibility to be used) · el άχρηστος (unable to do well) · la inūtilis (without use or possibility to be used) · it buono a nulla (good-for-nothing, not dependable) · da unyttig (unable to do well) · es inútil (unhelpful, pointless) · de unnützlich (without use or possibility to be used) · az faydasız (without use or possibility to be used) · ga gan mhaith (without use or possibility to be used) · ko 쓸모가 없다 (without use or possibility to be used) · haw waiwai ʻole (without use or possibility to be used) · el μάταιος (unhelpful, pointless) · pt imprestável (good-for-nothing, not dependable) · gd dìomhain (unhelpful, pointless) · ru бесполе́зный (without use or possibility to be used) · pl bezużyteczny (without use or possibility to be used) · he חֲסַר תוֹעֶלֶת (without use or possibility to be used) · bg негоден (good-for-nothing, not dependable) · pt inútil (unhelpful, pointless) · eu ezgai (without use or possibility to be used) · fi hyödytön (without use or possibility to be used) · kix āchú (without use or possibility to be used) · es negado (unable to do well) · kix āchú (unhelpful, pointless) · eo senutila (without use or possibility to be used) · ca inútil (unable to do well) · pl niepotrzebny (without use or possibility to be used) · nl onbruikbaar (without use or possibility to be used) · th ไม่มีประโยชน์ (unhelpful, pointless) · fr inutilisable (without use or possibility to be used) · nb ubrukelig (unable to do well) · ko 무용하다 (without use or possibility to be used) · de unnütz (without use or possibility to be used) · ckb بێ کەڵک (without use or possibility to be used) · it negato (unable to do well) · hi निरर्थक (without use or possibility to be used) · sl nekoristen (without use or possibility to be used) · be бескары́сны (without use or possibility to be used) · ia inusabile (without use or possibility to be used) · ms tidak berguna (without use or possibility to be used) · fi onneton (unable to do well) · id percuma (unhelpful, pointless) · az yararsız (without use or possibility to be used) · pt imprestável (without use or possibility to be used) · fi tarpeeton (without use or possibility to be used) · izh kelpaamatoin (without use or possibility to be used) · no unyttig (without use or possibility to be used) · ur بے کار (without use or possibility to be used) · de wertlos (without use or possibility to be used) · yue 冇用 (without use or possibility to be used) · da nytteløs (without use or possibility to be used) · ur فضول (without use or possibility to be used) · id tidak berguna (without use or possibility to be used) · sh бескористан (without use or possibility to be used) · ceb banga (unable to do well) · sa विफल (without use or possibility to be used) · fi turha (without use or possibility to be used) · uk некори́сний (without use or possibility to be used) · gl inútil (without use or possibility to be used) · no ubrukelig (without use or possibility to be used) · hi कुटिल (good-for-nothing, not dependable) · hi अर्थहीन (unhelpful, pointless) · sh beskoristan (without use or possibility to be used) · it inutile (good-for-nothing, not dependable) · cs zbytečný (without use or possibility to be used) · ps بې کاره (unable to do well) · ceb walay gamit (without use or possibility to be used) · la cassus (unhelpful, pointless) · nl nutteloos (without use or possibility to be used) · yi אומניצלעך (without use or possibility to be used) · eu hutsal (without use or possibility to be used) · ru никчёмный (without use or possibility to be used) · hy անօգուտ (without use or possibility to be used) · et tarbetu (without use or possibility to be used) · de sinnlos (without use or possibility to be used) · id sia-sia (unhelpful, pointless) · ro netrebuincios (without use or possibility to be used) · haw makehewa (unhelpful, pointless) · fi käyttökelvoton (without use or possibility to be used) · gd gun fheum (without use or possibility to be used) · da meningsløs (unhelpful, pointless) · vi vô dụng (without use or possibility to be used) · ceb bala (unable to do well) · sk zbytočný (without use or possibility to be used) · grc ἄχρηστος (without use or possibility to be used) · hy անպետք (without use or possibility to be used) · pt inútil (good-for-nothing, not dependable) · oc inutil (without use or possibility to be used) · nl waardeloos (good-for-nothing, not dependable) · el άχρηστος (without use or possibility to be used) · no nytteløs (without use or possibility to be used) · ru бесполе́зный (unable to do well) · fr inutile (without use or possibility to be used) · fi hyödytön (good-for-nothing, not dependable) · fi turha (unhelpful, pointless) · sv meningslös (unhelpful, pointless) · id brengsek (good-for-nothing, not dependable) · es inútil (without use or possibility to be used) · fr inutile (unhelpful, pointless) · ru нену́жный (without use or possibility to be used) · ca inútil (without use or possibility to be used)