WORTHLESS

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does worthless mean? 

• WORTHLESS (adjective)
  The adjective WORTHLESS has 2 senses:

1. lacking in usefulness or value

2. morally reprehensible

  Familiarity information: WORTHLESS used as an adjective is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• WORTHLESS (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Lacking in usefulness or value

Context example:

a worthless idler

Similar:

chaffy (value)

good-for-naught; good-for-nothing; meritless; no-account; no-count; no-good; sorry (without merit; of little or no value or use)

manky (inferior and worthless)

negligible; paltry; trifling (not worth considering)

nugatory (of no real value)

otiose; pointless; purposeless; senseless; superfluous; wasted (serving no useful purpose; having no excuse for being)

rubbishy; trashy (cheap and inferior; of no value)

tinpot (inferior (especially of a country's leadership))

valueless (of no value)

Also:

unworthy (lacking in value or merit)

Antonym:

valuable (having great material or monetary value especially for use or exchange)

Derivation:

worthlessness (having no qualities that would render it valuable or useful)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Morally reprehensible

Synonyms:

despicable; slimy; ugly; unworthy; vile; worthless; wretched

Context example:

a slimy little liar

Similar:

evil (morally bad or wrong)

 Context examples 

Without delight, living is a worthless act.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

Geriatric Depression Scale, Short Form (GDS-SF) Do you feel pretty worthless the way you are now?

(GDS-SF - Feel Worthless, NCI Thesaurus)

Hamilton Depression Rating Scale 21 Item (HAMD-21) Depressed mood; sadness, hopeless, helpless, worthless.

(HAMD-21 - Depressed Mood, NCI Thesaurus)

For my part, I must do my best to save this fellow's trebly worthless life; Jim, you get me a basin.

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

The weakest and the more worthless were eaten first.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

Because I get it back from the worthless wretch who stole it, from the woman who robbed the dead and the living.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

The worthless ones were to be got rid of, and, since dogs count for little against dollars, they were to be sold.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) Do you feel pretty worthless the way you are now?

(GDS - Feel Worthless, NCI Thesaurus)

Hamilton Depression Rating Scale 17 Item (HAMD-17) Depressed mood: sadness, hopeless, helpless, worthless.

(HAMD-17 - Depressed Mood, NCI Thesaurus)

Local aid is always either worthless or else biassed.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)