useless
Word family
Synonym discussion
Sense: adjective/1
These words are often used interchangeably but differ in nuance. Useless is the most general term — it describes something that fails to do its job or has no practical value. Worthless carries stronger emotional weight, suggesting the thing has no value at all (e.g., 'worthless currency during hyperinflation'). Pointless focuses on actions rather than objects — it means 'not worth doing because it will achieve nothing' (e.g., 'a pointless argument'). Futile is the most formal and dramatic, implying that all effort is doomed to fail despite how hard you try (e.g., 'a futile attempt to save the sinking ship'). Where useless says 'it doesn't work,' futile says 'it never had a chance.' In everyday conversation, useless is by far the most common; pointless and futile are more typical of written English.
Common collocations
Phrases
- prove useless
- turn out useless
- render something useless
- make something useless
Etymology
Formed in late Middle English by combining the noun 'use' (from Old French 'us', itself from Latin 'usus' meaning 'a using') with the suffix '-less' (from Old English '-lēas', meaning 'without'). The word has carried its core meaning of 'without use or value' since the 16th century.