worthless

Worthless is an adjective meaning having little or no value, usefulness, or importance. It denotes a negative assessment of worth, which is inherently context dependent: something may be worthless in one framework but valuable in another.

Etymology: The word comes from worth (value) with the suffix -less; it is attested in Middle English and has cognates in related Germanic languages.

Usage and scope: Worthless is frequently applied to objects or data that fail to meet a requirement, perform poorly, or cannot be exchanged for usable value. It can also describe efforts or beliefs judged as ineffective or harmful. In everyday language it is a strong pejorative and can be insulting when aimed at people or ideas; in formal writing, more precise terms such as valueless, useless, or futile are often preferred.

Economic and philosophical perspectives: In economics and finance, worthlessness implies the absence of monetary value or market demand. In philosophy, discussions about worth distinguish intrinsic value from instrumental or relational value; something may be intrinsically worthless in a given ethical or aesthetic framework yet serve a function in another.

Culture and language: Cultural attitudes toward worthlessness vary, and the term may reflect social judgments about merit or potential. In technical contexts it can be neutral, but in everyday speech it usually carries strong evaluative force and can be insulting when aimed at people or ideas. See also valuelessness, uselessness, futility.