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
This long pass ability would have been useless to, say, Manchester City in their FA Cup defeat.
—
Thom Harris, New York Times, 21 May 2025
Soho’s cast-iron buildings became useless as factories but proved perfect as artists’ studios and lofts.
—Justin Davidson, Curbed, 21 May 2025
Her statement accessory has become legendary, mainly due to its totally useless nature: its there purely as decoration, rather than for any sort of utility or practicality.
—Christian Allaire, Vogue, 7 May 2025
But in a time long before replay could overturn a call, protest was useless.
—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for useless
Thom Harris, New York Times, 21 May 2025
Soho’s cast-iron buildings became useless as factories but proved perfect as artists’ studios and lofts.
—Justin Davidson, Curbed, 21 May 2025
Her statement accessory has become legendary, mainly due to its totally useless nature: its there purely as decoration, rather than for any sort of utility or practicality.
—Christian Allaire, Vogue, 7 May 2025
But in a time long before replay could overturn a call, protest was useless.
—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for useless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for useless
Adjective
-
Study co-author and archaeological scientist Katerina Douka explains that this technique can be used to sort through large numbers of fragments in a way that is impractical for other methods such as DNA sequencing.—
Tom Hawking,
Popular Science,
5 June 2025
-
One such model is the external control arm (ECA), which leverages real-world data (RWD) to supplement or replace control groups, especially when enrolling patients in placebo arms is impractical or ethically complex.—
Sujay Jadhav,
Forbes.com,
4 June 2025
Adjective
-
Cutting spending wasted on a futile pursuit of a global empire is not just a fiscal necessity.—
Ron Paul,
Oc Register,
20 May 2025
-
Desperate Steve Kerr frequently toggled his non-Draymond Green big men as late as the second round of the playoffs in a futile effort to contain the giants of the Minnesota Timberwolves around the rim.—
Alex Kirschenbaum,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 May 2025
Adjective
-
Which is why my first attempt at supports ended up being totally unusable.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
28 May 2025
-
But farmlands are also becoming unusable due to increasing droughts, pushing more people into cities and placing a strain on urban water supplies.—
Simmone Shah,
Time,
9 May 2025
Adjective
-
One game after the Oilers were unsuccessful in challenging that Bennett interfered with Stuart Skinner during the game’s first goal, Bennett toppled over Skinner after getting contact from Ekholm later in the period.—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
7 June 2025
-
Efforts to reach Suncor officials for this story were unsuccessful.—
Noelle Phillips,
Denver Post,
7 June 2025
Adjective
-
Any useless, toxic or otherwise unsuitable man can become a child’s legal father, without being subject to the thorough checks that these women must face.—
Catherine Bray,
Variety,
23 May 2025
-
Advertisement Advertisement Some insects are adapting to changing climates by moving to regions that might have previously been unsuitable.—
Simmone Shah,
Time,
20 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Useless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/useless. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share