1
as in impractical
not capable of being put to use or account
a garage full of useless junk
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
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.
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.
—
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
-
Developing advanced tools entirely in-house is often impractical for financial institutions.—
Rahim Harji,
Forbes,
22 Jan. 2025
-
On top of that, Los Angeles is set to host the 2028 Summer Olympics, which may serve as a looming — albeit impractical — deadline for recovery.—
Denise Chow,
NBC News,
22 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Multifactor authentication and other validation checks will become increasingly futile.—
Michael DeCesare,
Forbes,
13 Jan. 2025
-
That drive went 74 yards in seven plays and was the answer the Buccaneers desperately needed after a mostly futile first half on offense.—
NBC News,
NBC News,
13 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
On Saturday evening, a few hours before the ban took effect, TikTok became unusable for U.S. users.—
Haleluya Hadero,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Jan. 2025
-
The TikTok Effect This past weekend demonstrated users' willingness to switch platforms when TikTok became unusable late on Saturday night.—
Esat Dedezade,
Forbes,
21 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Funding Nearly Halted Worldwide: State Department Putin Faces 'Really Big Problems' in Russian Economy: Report The U.S. has been sued in the past over the policy, though the lawsuits have been unsuccessful.—
Gordon G. Chang,
Newsweek,
26 Jan. 2025
-
Early attempts that fell short reveal that most cellular love affairs are unsuccessful.—
Molly Herring,
WIRED,
26 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
The following year, regulators ruled that the company is unsuitable to operate its casinos in Sydney and Queensland, placing them under government supervision.—
Yessar Rosendar,
Forbes,
20 Jan. 2025
-
That's because Blue Origin aims to recover the first stage of the New Glenn rocket, and sea states in the Atlantic Ocean have been unsuitable for an initial attempt to catch the first stage booster on a drone ship.—
Eric Berger,
Ars Technica,
11 Jan. 2025
Articles Related to useless
Thesaurus Entries Near useless
Cite this Entry
“Useless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/useless. Accessed 31 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share