needless

adjective

ˈnēd-ləs How to pronounce needless (audio)
Definition of needlessnext
as in unnecessary
not needed by the circumstances or to accomplish an end needless expenditures that pushed the construction project way over budget

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of needless What had felt like needless perfectionism now looked like professionalism. — Mark Nevins, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2026 More pragmatic figures in the establishment accuse these hard-liners of upsetting the country’s social peace with needless political repression, and by seeking to micromanage the lifestyles of ordinary people. — Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026 Here comes another needless fight with one of America’s closest friends. — Editorial Board, Washington Post, 21 July 2026 Odysseus is a determined warrior wanting to get home to his family as well as a leader whose poor decisions and needless cruelty are a detriment, especially to his fellow soldiers. — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 15 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for needless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for needless
unnecessary
Adjective
  • Even with an unnecessary roughness penalty in the fourth, Shelley made his reps count, making five tackles and breaking up a deep pass from Rams quarterback Ty Simpson intended for Tyler Scott.
    — Joaquin Ruiz, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
  • That is true, but making costly and unnecessary wars harder to start belongs in the credit column, not the debit one.
    — JENNIFER KAVANAGH, Foreign Affairs, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of unnecessary

Phrases Containing needless

Browse Nearby Words

needles
needless
needless to say
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Needless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/needless. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All