Worthless
/ˈwɜːrθ.ləs/noun
Having no value or usefulness.
Did you know?The core word worth comes from Old English weorþ, which was tied to ideas of value, status, and what something deserves—so “worthless” is basically a judgment of cosmic and social weight, not just price.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
weorþlēas
“Without value; useless; not worth anything.”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*werþalōsaz
“Without worth or value.”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*werþaz
“Worth, value, price, honor.”
Old English
OE
weorþ
“Value, price, worth, merit.”
Modern English
English
worthless
“Having no value or usefulness.”
Explore more surprising origins