inutiles

Inutiles is the plural form of the adjective inútil in Spanish and Portuguese, used to describe objects, actions, or people that have no practical use or value. In a broader sense, it conveys the idea of being ineffective or unhelpful. In English translations, it is closest to "useless" or "ineffectual."

Etymology and forms: The term derives from Latin inutilis, formed by the negating prefix in- added to utilis, meaning useful. In Spanish the standard spelling is inútiles, with an accent on the first syllable, while in Portuguese it is inúteis, with the accent on ú. Inutiles without diacritics can appear in texts that omit accents, but the accent marks are orthographically important in both languages.

Usage and nuance: Inutiles can modify nouns to indicate lack of usefulness, such as objetos inútiles (useless objects) or tarefas inúteis (pointless tasks). When applied to people, it can be pejorative, signaling incompetence or lack of value, though it may be used humorously or self-deprecatingly in informal speech. Synonyms include inúteis, ineficaz, sem utilidade, or pouco útil, depending on context and tone.

Examples: Spanish — Este utensilio es inútil. Los inútiles no completaron la tarea. Portuguese — Este utensílio é inútil. Eles são inúteis. In both languages, the term is more likely to appear in casual or critical discourse than in formal writing.