unhelpful

adjective

un·​help·​ful ˌən-ˈhelp-fəl How to pronounce unhelpful (audio)
 Southern often  -ˈhep-,
 also  -ˈheəp-
: offering no assistance : not helpful
a rude, unhelpful person
a confusing and unhelpful textbook
unhelpfully adverb
unhelpfulness noun

Examples of unhelpful in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Are they based on facts or assumptions? To turn unhelpful thinking around, ask a question. Dr. Terrie Hope, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2025 Chinese authorities have dismissed speculation about COVID’s origins as unhelpful and motivated by politics. David Klepper, Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2025 Be careful, though, not to let a rant become your reality: Your letter is brimming with unhelpful generalizations — that men are pigs, for instance — and logical inconsistencies. Philip Galanes, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2025 Research published in 2022 in found that by embracing vulnerability, couples can break away from unhelpful and habitual patterns of interaction. Mark Travers, Forbes, 17 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for unhelpful

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1616, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unhelpful was circa 1616

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unhelpful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unhelpful. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on unhelpful

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!