worthless

[ wurth-lis ]

adjective

1. without worth; of no use, importance, or value; good-for-nothing:

   a worthless person; a worthless contract.

worthless

/ ˈwɜːθlɪs /

adjective

1. without practical value or usefulness
2. without merit; good-for-nothing

Derived Forms

• ˈworthlessness, noun
• ˈworthlessly, adverb

Other Words From

• worthless·ly adverb
• worthless·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of worthless¹

First recorded in 1580–90; worth ¹ + -less

Example Sentences

Porter-Eley also pleaded guilty to opening bank accounts using other people’s Social Security numbers, thereby obtaining nearly $50,000 in worthless checks, according to the Justice Department.

From Los Angeles Times

He might dismiss Guillermo, the household’s human companion, as worthless, but when old Gizmo needed to trust someone with a potentially deadly secret, Laszlo kept it for him.

From Salon

Restaurants are closing and car break-ins are so common that people complain that thieves sometimes steal worthless items like old rags.

From Los Angeles Times

The deflated dinghies and abandoned life jackets on these beaches may look worthless, but someone will have paid huge sums for what they hoped was a route to a better life.

From BBC

She went from an outgoing, confident person during their five year relationship to one who felt worthless, and urged women in similar situations to seek help.

From BBC

Related Words

• barren
• bogus
• futile
• inconsequential
• ineffective
• insignificant
• meaningless
• mediocre
• pointless
• unimportant
• unproductive
• unprofitable
• unusable
• useless