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
Social services are borderline useless.
—
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 17 Apr. 2026
Still, old soil isn’t exactly useless.
—Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 16 Apr. 2026
The problem is that these abilities are extremely limited and can only be used when Anne finds a charging station, which are few and far between, making the abilities mostly useless.
—Zackery Cuevas, PC Magazine, 14 Apr. 2026
As a result, robots designed for very specific tasks may suddenly become useless when other tasks are required.
—New Atlas, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for useless
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 17 Apr. 2026
Still, old soil isn’t exactly useless.
—Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 16 Apr. 2026
The problem is that these abilities are extremely limited and can only be used when Anne finds a charging station, which are few and far between, making the abilities mostly useless.
—Zackery Cuevas, PC Magazine, 14 Apr. 2026
As a result, robots designed for very specific tasks may suddenly become useless when other tasks are required.
—New Atlas, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for useless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for useless
Adjective
-
Scientists typically test candidates one by one, making large-scale discovery impractical.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
23 Apr. 2026
-
And it’s set in a snowy wintertime, which would have been impractical and expensive in live action, but pays all kinds of benefits in terms of staging and mood.—
Television Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Bayern coach José Barcala was also shown red by referee Ivana Martinčić for his protests, which were futile because a VAR check confirmed Kett’s foul.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The entire Earth knows it, and that makes trading Aiyuk for anything notable a nearly futile undertaking.—
Armando Salguero OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
21 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The Jackson estate also had to shell out additional tens of millions after the third act was deemed unusable.—
Jack Dunn,
Variety,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Supporters of the proposal also spoke at the meeting, saying that the current grass field has long been unusable and renovation is overdue.—
Chaewon Chung,
Sacbee.com,
22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The mammal’s health deteriorated as it became repeatedly stranded in shallow waters, and unsuccessful efforts to coax it toward deeper seas were livestreamed across the globe.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The child was taken to Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital in Azle, where additional lifesaving efforts were unsuccessful, the sheriff's office said.—
Doug Myers,
CBS News,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The team found that several 2D materials praised for their electronic properties may become unsuitable once they are built into real devices.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Lara’s pre-operative test results were abnormal, and revealed clear signs of keratoconus, making LASIK unsuitable.—
Jessica Alvarado Gamez,
Denver Post,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Useless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/useless. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
