useless

Contents

EnglishEdit

EtymologyEdit

From use +‎ -less.

PronunciationEdit

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• IPA^(key): /ˈjuːs.ləs/

AdjectiveEdit

useless ‎(comparative uselesser or more useless, superlative uselessest or most useless)

1. Without use or possibility to be used.

   This fork has prongs that are bent. It's useless now.

2. Unhelpful, not useful; pointless (of an action).

   I think it's useless to keep this discussion going. It's like talking to a wall.

   I tried my best to make him quit smoking, but my efforts were useless. He now smokes six packs a day.

3. (pejorative, of a person) good-for-nothing; not dependable.

   Bill never mows the lawn, takes out the trash or anything. He's useless, but I love him anyways.

4. (colloquial, of a person) unable to do well at a particular task or thing. Useless is mildly insulting.

   My brother is useless at most computer games, but he is an awesome PS2 player.

   Why do you keep trying? You're obviously useless at it.

SynonymsEdit

• (good-for-nothing): good-for-nothing
• (unable to do well): unskillful

AntonymsEdit

• skillful, useful

Derived termsEdit

• uselessly
• uselessness

TranslationsEdit

without use or possibility to be used

• Asturian: inútil
• Basque: baliogabe, ezgai, hutsal
• Bulgarian: безполезен (bg) ‎(bezpolézen)
• Catalan: inútil (ca) m, f
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 冇用 ‎(mou⁵ jung⁶)

  Mandarin: 無用 (zh), 无用 (zh) ‎(wúyòng)

• Czech: zbytečný m, k ničemu
• Danish: ubrugelig (da)
• Dutch: nutteloos (nl), onbruikbaar (nl)
• Estonian: tarbetu
• Finnish: hyödytön (fi), tarpeeton (fi), turha (fi); kelvoton (fi), käyttökelvoton
• French: inutilisable (fr)
• Galician: inútil
• Georgian: უსარგებლო ‎(usargeblo)
• German: nutzlos (de), unnützlich, unnütz, wertlos (de), sinnlos (de)
• Greek: άχρηστος (el) ‎(áchristos)
• Hawaiian: waiwai ʻole, makehewa
• Hebrew: חֲסַר תוֹעֶלֶת ‎(ḥasar to'elet)
• Hindi: बेकार (hi) ‎(bekār)
• Icelandic: gagnslaus
• Ido: ^{(please verify)} neutila (io)
• Indonesian: tidak berguna
• Interlingua: inusabile
• Irish: gan mhaith

• Italian: inutile (it) m, f
• Japanese: 無用な ‎(むような, muyō-na)
• Malay: tak guna
• Norman: innutile
• Kurdish:

  Sorani: بێ سوود, بێ که‌ڵک

• Latin: inutilis
• Norwegian: nytteløst, unyttig
• Pashto: بې کاره (ps) m, f ‎(be kâra)
• Pitjantjatjara: ^{(please verify)} kura, ^{(please verify)} uṉa
• Polish: niepotrzebny (pl) m, bezużyteczny (pl) m
• Portuguese: inútil (pt), imprestável (pt)
• Romanian: inutil (ro) m, n, netrebuincios (ro) m, n, nefolositor (ro) m, n
• Russian: бесполе́зный (ru) ‎(bespoléznyj), нену́жный (ru) ‎(nenúžnyj), (good-for-nothing) никчёмный (ru) ‎(nikčómnyj)
• Scottish Gaelic: gun fheum
• Slovak: zbytočný m, nanič, (vulg.) nahovno
• Spanish: inútil (es) m, f
• Thai: please add this translation if you can
• Turkish: please add this translation if you can
• Urdu: بیکار ‎(bekār)
• Vietnamese: please add this translation if you can

unhelpful, pointless

• Finnish: turha (fi)
• French: inutile (fr) m, f

• Greek: μάταιος (el) ‎(mátaios)
• Hawaiian: makehewa
• Indonesian: percuma (id), sia-sia (id)
• Italian: inutile (it)
• Portuguese: inútil (pt)

good-for-nothing, not dependable

• Dutch: waardeloos (nl)
• Finnish: hyödytön (fi)
• French: bon à rien (fr)

• Indonesian: brengsek (id)
• Italian: inutile (it), buono a nulla
• Portuguese: inútil (pt), imprestável (pt)

unable to do well

• Catalan: inútil (ca) m, f
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 冇鬼用

• Finnish: onneton (fi), kelvoton (fi)
• Greek: άχρηστος (el) ‎(áchristos)
• Indonesian: payah (id)
• Italian: negato (it)
• Kurdish:

  Sorani: بێ که‌ڵک, هیچوپوچ

• Norwegian: ubrukelig, unyttig
• Pashto: بې کاره (ps) m, f ‎(be kâra)
• Portuguese: péssimo (pt)
• Russian: бесполе́зный (ru) ‎(bespoléznyj), (good-for-nothing) никчёмный (ru) ‎(nikčómnyj)
• Scottish Gaelic: gun fheum
• Spanish: ^{(please verify)} inútil (es) m, f, ^{(please verify)} bueno para nada m, ^{(please verify)} buena para nada f