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needless

needless

112 3.0
Not needed and avoidable, often causing harm or waste
  • adjective
  • /ˈnidləs/
translation icon : innecesario
  • Cutting out needless steps in the process can improve efficiency.
  • needless to say

I couldn't bear hearing about senseless gun violence and needless loss of life.

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Examples

  • Basketball players, Needless to say, are tall and thin.

  • And well, needless to say, you were amazing.

  • Well, Needless to say, I am glad I asked.

  • The next president, needless to say, cannot lead unless he has a vision of where to go.

    Academic text (1992)
  • And Needless to say, that was very devastating information for me to have to receive.

  • Yeah, Needless to say, he met some fierce resistance.

  • Needless to say, you will be doing your share of the cleaning.

  • Needless to say, I'm shocked.

  • We're up 18 percent over last year's third quarter gross and, needless to say, that's a new record.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • It always ends in needless tragedy.

Synonyms

unnecessary
vsneedless
300 1.6

More than is needed or wanted

emphasizes absence of justification rather than mere excess
gratuitous
vsneedless
31 7.7

Not needed and done for no good reason

is the general term for lack of need rather than intentional act
superfluous
vsneedless
22 7.0

More than what is needed or useful

focuses on lack of justification rather than extra quantity
unneeded
vsneedless
7 2.3

Not necessary or useful in a situation

also highlights that it lacks good reason or justification
uncalled-for
vsneedless
1 5.1

Not needed and not right in the situation

focuses on lack of justification rather than social appropriateness

Antonyms

1.0

Needed and cannot be avoided

How Necessary

essential
537 1.9
necessary
1.0
useful
947 1.0
needless
112 3.0
pointless
157 3.5

Surface Forms

needless positive

Morphology

needless = need (transparent) = need + less

Formed by the productive suffix '-less' meaning 'without', so learners who know 'need' will readily infer 'not necessary'.

Etymology

Needless is simply need + -less, where need means 'something necessary' and -less means 'without'. So needless literally means 'without need' and is used for things that are not necessary.