What does worthlessness mean?
Worthlessness is an abstract noun meaning the absence of worth, value, usefulness, or significance. It can refer to an object, action, argument, or institution, as in a discussion of the alleged worthlessness of a product or policy. In personal contexts, it often describes a distressing sense of having little value or importance, although such a feeling does not necessarily correspond to an objective judgment about a person's abilities or character. The word is more emphatic than words such as inferiority or ineffectiveness because it implies a complete absence of worth rather than a lesser degree of quality. Worthlessness is also strongly evaluative: calling something worthless is generally criticism, not neutral description. Related expressions include “a sense of worthlessness” and “utter worthlessness,” while useful contrasts include worthiness, value, and usefulness.
nounThe state or quality of being worthless, having no value, usefulness, or significance. It can also refer to a person's sense of lacking personal value or importance.
- The condition of having no value, usefulness, or significance.
- The condition of regarding oneself as having little personal value, importance, or significance.
"She confronted the painful worthlessness of days spent pursuing goals that no longer seemed meaningful."
"The committee condemned the injustice and worthlessness of the proposal."
"Following the rejection, she struggled with feelings of worthlessness and isolation."
This regular plural is rare; the word is ordinarily used as an abstract or mass noun.
"His later works turn the apparent worthlessnesses of the early poems into a subject of study."
Worthlessness is built transparently: worth + less + ness, or literally, “the state of being without worth.”
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does worthlessness come from?
Worthlessness was formed in English by adding the noun-forming suffix “-ness” to “worthless.” The adjective “worthless” combines “worth” with “-less,” a suffix meaning “without,” so its literal sense is “without worth.” “Worth” continues Old English “weorþ,” an ancestor of cognates such as German “Wert” and Dutch “waarde,” all associated with value or price.
How worthlessness is actually used
The word is formal and often carries a strongly negative or condemnatory tone. Its personal sense is common in psychological and emotional contexts, where it describes a painful sense of being valueless or unimportant.
Easily confused with worthlessness
Worthlessness is the absence of value, significance, or effectiveness, whereas usefulness specifically concerns whether something serves a practical purpose.