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Worthless vs. useless: what’s the difference?

The short answer

Worthless implies lacking monetary or intrinsic value, while useless refers to lacking practical utility or function.

What they have in common

Both worthless and useless suggest a lack of value, effectiveness, or utility.

Examples

worthless

  • The counterfeit money is worthless.
  • Without the proper context, the data is worthless.

useless

  • The pen was out of ink and completely useless.
  • Trying to fix the broken device without the right tools was useless.

Which one is more common?

Internet search results for “worthless” and “useless”

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