# unhelpful

/ənˈhɛɫpfəɫ/ (US) · /ʌnhˈɛlpfəl/ (UK) · CEFR B1 · Adjective

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/unhelpful
Updated: 2026-05-18

## Definition

not useful or not giving the right information. You use this to describe someone who does not want to help you or a piece of advice that makes a situation worse.

For teachers: not useful, effective, or beneficial; failing to provide the necessary assistance or information. Often used to describe interpersonal behavior or the quality of advice.

## Examples

- His unhelpful comments made the situation much worse.
- The customer service representative gave some unhelpful advice that did not solve my technical problem at all.
- While the initial proposal seemed promising, the subsequent unhelpful feedback from the board prevented the project from moving forward, leading to a significant delay in the launch.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.