worthless

adjective

worth·​less ˈwərth-ləs How to pronounce worthless (audio)
1
a
: lacking worth : valueless
worthless currency
b
: useless
worthless to continue searching
2
: contemptible, despicable
a worthless criminal
worthlessly adverb
worthlessness noun

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Aaron Ryder, a producer of Arrival, was quarantining at a hotel in Montreal, watching an army of amateur day traders drive up the value of a supposedly worthless stock. Simon Van Zuylen-Wood, Vulture, 1 Nov. 2024 As is so often the case, the prediction of macro is rendered as worthless as the prediction that the world is flat. Jim Cramer, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2024 But this is a distressed deal in which the equity appears worthless — so the lenders scrambling to get paid back are actually the ones in control. Felix Salmon, Axios, 3 Oct. 2024 Thing is… Matty realizes, too late, that Senior quietly moved to bankrupt his developer client, making the settlement that Robert agreed to literally worthless (though other claimants will be made whole). Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 31 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for worthless 

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1577, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of worthless was circa 1577

Dictionary Entries Near worthless

Cite this Entry

“Worthless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/worthless. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

worthless

adjective
worth·​less ˈwərth-ləs How to pronounce worthless (audio)
1
a
: lacking worth : valueless
b
: useless
worthless to continue searching
2
: deserving of hatred or pity
a worthless coward
worthlessly adverb
worthlessness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on worthless

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!