1
as in impractical
not capable of being put to use or account
a garage full of useless junk
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in futile
producing no results
a useless attempt to reach an agreement
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of useless
Teaching students how to explore connections between characters and conflicts in a novel to people and situations in their own lives makes resorting to chatbots less appealing, if not altogether useless.
—
Gayle Rogers, The Conversation, 17 Mar. 2026
Five-day forecasts are virtually useless, as is our comfort level that the very worst of winter is behind us.
—Chicago Tribune, 14 Mar. 2026
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 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
See All Example Sentences for useless
Gayle Rogers, The Conversation, 17 Mar. 2026
Five-day forecasts are virtually useless, as is our comfort level that the very worst of winter is behind us.
—Chicago Tribune, 14 Mar. 2026
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 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
See All Example Sentences for useless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for useless
Adjective
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The creator notes the concept suits cabins, RVs, and off-grid structures particularly well — anywhere grid ties are impractical or expensive.—
Munis Raza,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Mar. 2026
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Stylists also caution against looks that feel overly themed or impractical.—
Katie Ann Lehman,
StyleCaster,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Catcher Logan O’Hoppe picked it up and then threw it away in a futile attempt to get the out at first.—
Jeff Fletcher,
Oc Register,
29 Mar. 2026
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The latter, a wry comedy of futile endeavor, was based on a story by Kiarostami, but Haghighi soon sought to shake off Kiarostami’s influence—and, even more, a prevailing caricature of Iranian cinema that Kiarostami’s style had given rise to.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Access to software updates or features can be expensive, limited, or revoked, leaving devices that are still in perfect physical condition unusable or not worth the subscription cost.—
Jasna Hodžić,
Big Think,
31 Mar. 2026
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The stove was missing burners and appeared to be unusable.—
Angie DiMichele,
Sun Sentinel,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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An attempt to get a comment from Scrooge Sul about the allegations was unsuccessful.—
Jesse Sarles,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
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The man had surgical hardware in his right ankle but attempts to identify him from the serial numbers were unsuccessful, according to the medical examiner’s office.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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He was accused of creating spectacle and of designing spaces unsuitable for art.—
Norman Foster,
Artforum,
26 Mar. 2026
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Goan cobras are migrating to new and unsuitable habitats by train.—
Rafil Kroll-Zaidi,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Useless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/useless. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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