worthlessness

worthlessness — noun

1. a deep distressing sense of having little value as a person and lacking useful a

1.名詞C1
釋義

a deep distressing sense of having little value as a person and lacking useful abilities, often causing sadness or low confidence

例句

A year of failed job interviews left João with a crushing sense of worthlessness.

a crushing sense of + worthlessness

Élise's therapist helped her understand that her feelings of worthlessness stemmed from childhood experiences.

feelings of + worthlessness

同義詞
  • inadequacy

    focuses more on not being good or capable enough for a specific task, slightly less intense

  • low self-esteem

    broader term describing a general lack of confidence, not necessarily as acute as worthlessness

  • hopelessness

    emphasises a lack of hope for the future rather than a lack of personal value

反義詞
  • self-worth

    the positive feeling that you have value as a person

  • confidence

    belief in your own abilities, the opposite of feeling useless

文法句型

feelings of + worthlessness

a sense of + worthlessness

用法筆記

Uncountable — do not use as a plural noun (❌ 'many worthlessnesses'). Frequently paired with 'a sense of', 'feelings of', or 'a wave of' before the noun.

常見錯誤

❌She felt a worthlessness.
✅She felt a sense of worthlessness.
💡Worthlessness is an uncountable noun; use 'a sense of' or 'feelings of' before it.
❌His worthlessness comments hurt everyone.
✅His worthless comments hurt everyone.
💡Use the adjective 'worthless' before a noun, not the noun 'worthlessness'.

2. a condition in which an object or asset is judged to be without any monetary wor

2.名詞C1
釋義

a condition in which an object or asset is judged to be without any monetary worth or practical usefulness

例句

A buyer offered Anjali only a few dollars, showing the worthlessness of her old jewellery.

the worthlessness of + noun phrase

Hari realised the worthlessness of his expired insurance policy when his laptop was stolen.

同義詞
  • uselessness

    focuses on practical utility rather than financial value

  • valuelessness

    more formal and less common, used mainly in technical or financial contexts

反義詞
  • value

    the quality of being worth a lot of money or being useful

  • worth

    the practical or financial value of something

文法句型

the worthlessness of + noun phrase

confirm/realise + the worthlessness of

用法筆記

Describes the objective financial or practical value of objects and assets rather than emotional states. Common with a possessive or 'the worthlessness of' + noun phrase. Not used in the plural.

常見錯誤

❌The worthlessness of the coins were obvious.
✅The worthlessness of the coins was obvious.
💡'Worthlessness' is singular and takes a singular verb regardless of the noun that follows.