Standard Lemma guide

worthlessness

noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

The quality of lacking worth, of being valueless, useless or devoid of benefit.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

Examples

  • Kids these days far too often attribute low academic grades to feelings of worthlessness.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

having no qualities that would render it valuable or useful

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the drill sergeant's intent was to convince all the recruits of their worthlessness

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: ineptitude

Antonyms: worth

Broader terms: quality

Narrower terms: fecklessness, groundlessness, idleness, paltriness, sorriness, valuelessness, shoddiness, trashiness, damn, darn, hoot, red cent, shit, shucks, tinker's damn, tinker's dam, vanity, emptiness

3

noun

Meaning 3

the quality of being without practical use

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: inutility, uselessness, unusefulness

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English worthless Proto-Germanic *-inōną Proto-Indo-European *-dyé- Proto-Germanic *-atjaną Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Germanic *-þuz Proto-Germanic *-assuz Proto-Germanic *-inassuz Proto-West Germanic *-nassī Old English -nes Middle English -nesse English -ness English worthlessness From worthless + -ness.

Across languages

Translations

22 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: inutilitat — quality of lacking worth
  • Catalan: inanitat — quality of lacking worth
  • Chinese Mandarin: 沒有價值 — quality of lacking worth
  • Chinese Mandarin: 没有价值 (méiyǒu jiàzhí) — quality of lacking worth
  • Chinese Mandarin: 無價值 — quality of lacking worth
  • Chinese Mandarin: 无价值 (wú jiàzhí) — quality of lacking worth
  • Finnish: arvottomuus — quality of lacking worth
  • Georgian: უვარგისობა (uvargisoba) — quality of lacking worth
  • Georgian: გამოუსადეგრობა (gamousadegroba) — quality of lacking worth
  • Georgian: უფასურობა (upasuroba) — quality of lacking worth
  • Italian: inutilità — quality of lacking worth
  • Italian: inane — quality of lacking worth
  • Latin: nēquitia — quality of lacking worth
  • Latin: vilitas — quality of lacking worth
  • Manx: neufeeuid — quality of lacking worth
  • Persian: بیارزشی (bi-arzeši) — quality of lacking worth
  • Polish: bezwartościowość — quality of lacking worth
  • Portuguese: inutilidade — quality of lacking worth
  • Turkish: değersizlik — quality of lacking worth
  • Turkish: kıymetsizlik — quality of lacking worth
  • Turkish: naçizlik — quality of lacking worth
  • Ottoman Turkish: دكرسزلك (değersizlik) — quality of lacking worth