# worthless

/ˈwɝθɫəs/ (US) · /wˈɜːθləs/ (UK) · CEFR B1 · Adjective

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/worthless
Updated: 2026-05-02

## Definition

having no value, use, or importance. You use this to describe something that is broken, useless, or not worth any money.

For teachers: lacking any financial value, utility, or merit. Often used to describe objects that cannot be sold or ideas that have no practical application.

## Examples

- The old car is worthless because the engine is completely broken.
- After the company went bankrupt, the stock certificates became worthless overnight, leaving investors with nothing.
- The critic dismissed the novel as worthless, arguing that its derivative plot and flat characters offered nothing of interest to a modern audience.

## Pitfalls

- Not "The ring is worthlessly." but "The ring is worthless." — Learners sometimes confuse the adjective 'worthless' with an adverbial form; when describing a noun's value, the adjective is required.

## Usage notes

- Typically used as a predicative adjective after a linking verb or as an attributive adjective before a noun.

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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.