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
Examples 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
Narendra Modi has picked a needless fight with the United States and Canada.
—
Daniel Block, The Atlantic, 30 Nov. 2024
Most of my peers think the feature, which controls which vents are open and where they’re aimed from the touch screen, is a needless complication, offering no benefit versus manual adjsutments.
—Mark Phelan, Detroit Free Press, 30 Nov. 2024
Denial itself, needless to say, can be a driving force, and the frowning shrinks might point to the roiling energies of an Auerbach painting, and to his obsessive habit of scraping away the remains of a day’s brushwork and beginning afresh on the morrow.
—Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 21 Nov. 2024
As a bonus, once that information is obtained, it can be used to eliminate needless steps, or friction, to deliver the easiest and most seamless experience possible.
—Brian Bronson, Forbes, 20 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for needless 
Daniel Block, The Atlantic, 30 Nov. 2024
Most of my peers think the feature, which controls which vents are open and where they’re aimed from the touch screen, is a needless complication, offering no benefit versus manual adjsutments.
—Mark Phelan, Detroit Free Press, 30 Nov. 2024
Denial itself, needless to say, can be a driving force, and the frowning shrinks might point to the roiling energies of an Auerbach painting, and to his obsessive habit of scraping away the remains of a day’s brushwork and beginning afresh on the morrow.
—Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 21 Nov. 2024
As a bonus, once that information is obtained, it can be used to eliminate needless steps, or friction, to deliver the easiest and most seamless experience possible.
—Brian Bronson, Forbes, 20 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for needless
Articles Related to needless
Thesaurus Entries Near needless
Cite this Entry
“Needless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/needless. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share