worthless

adjective

worth·​less ˈwərth-ləs 

1

a

: lacking worth : valueless

worthless currency

b

: useless

worthless to continue searching

2

: contemptible, despicable

a worthless criminal

worthlessly adverb

worthlessness noun

Synonyms of worthless

• empty
• valueless
• cheap
• flawed
• no-good
• vain

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

While the players who spent thousands of dollars on Legacy land plots still technically control the associated NFTs, those crypto tokens are practically worthless without an active game to monetize them. —ArsTechnica, 27 Apr. 2026

The joke implies that Timur, stripped of all the trappings of power and authority, is essentially worthless. —Perin Gürel, The Conversation, 22 Apr. 2026

If Zaslav couldn’t get the stock price higher than $10 within five years, his options would ultimately be worthless. —Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 21 Apr. 2026

This does nothing to help onboard new VGC players, who are now more likely to pick a worthless item that puts them at a disadvantage. —Kallie Plagge, The Verge, 11 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1577, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

worthless

adjective

worth·​less ˈwərth-ləs 

1

a

: lacking worth : valueless

b

: useless

worthless to continue searching

2

: deserving of hatred or pity

a worthless coward

worthlessly adverb

worthlessness noun