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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of useless
Trump often goes further, casting the entire administrative state as useless at best and a malevolent, corrupt, anti-American fifth column at worst and pledging to empower business-world titans like Elon Musk to hew through it in search of inefficiency.
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Peter C. Baker, New York Times, 1 Jan. 2025
The fenders also seemed pretty useless to me as, after a wet ride post-rain, my back was covered in specks of dirt kicked up from the rear tire.
—Julian Chokkattu, WIRED, 29 Dec. 2024
Front offices None of the rest of this matters if the boss is useless.
—Eric Stephens, The Athletic, 3 Jan. 2025
However, operating under the cynical assumption that nothing can be done, your vote is useless or that people in charge do not care will only sink us further into a world of hate, division and depression.
—Claire Foley, Baltimore Sun, 2 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for useless 
Peter C. Baker, New York Times, 1 Jan. 2025
The fenders also seemed pretty useless to me as, after a wet ride post-rain, my back was covered in specks of dirt kicked up from the rear tire.
—Julian Chokkattu, WIRED, 29 Dec. 2024
Front offices None of the rest of this matters if the boss is useless.
—Eric Stephens, The Athletic, 3 Jan. 2025
However, operating under the cynical assumption that nothing can be done, your vote is useless or that people in charge do not care will only sink us further into a world of hate, division and depression.
—Claire Foley, Baltimore Sun, 2 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for useless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for useless
Adjective
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For instance, unused network segments can be powered down temporarily to save energy, a task that would be impractical to manage manually across thousands of network sites.Robert Backhouse, Forbes, 8 Jan. 2025
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Experts dismiss an analogous design for the U.S. as impractical—Israel's defenses are vastly different to the U.S. for several reasons, not least the size of the country and who is doing the targeting.Dan Perry, Newsweek, 4 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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In my experience, even attempting to get a price estimate beforehand is often futile.Michael Gfoeller And David H. Rundell, Newsweek, 15 Jan. 2025
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Unnecessary pesticides are costly and often futile, and hey may kill beneficial insects and plants.Beth Botts, Chicago Tribune, 5 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The insurance typically covers personal belongings and a unit’s interior and provides benefits such as living expenses if a condo becomes unusable.Laurence Darmiento, Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2025
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Instead, the law would penalize internet providers and companies with App stores like Apple and Google for continuing to make updates available, The New York Times reported, so the app would degrade over time and become unusable.Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Trump attempted one last time to get a judge to block the report but was unsuccessful, NPR's Carrie Johnson tells Up First.Brittney Melton, NPR, 14 Jan. 2025
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An attempt was made to cut a lock to uniform storage, however was unsuccessful.City News Service, Orange County Register, 12 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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This mismatch results in recruiters spending excessive time reviewing unsuitable applications, with 22% dedicating three to five hours daily to this task.Jack Kelly, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025
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Uncovering a Forgotten History The discovery was initiated by a 1930s agricultural report referencing untended land filled with graves and trees—an area unsuitable for cultivation.Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 12 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Useless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/useless. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.
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