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Useless vs Trivial - What's the difference?

useless | trivial | Related terms |

Useless is a related term of trivial.


As adjectives the difference between useless and trivial

is that useless is without use or possibility to be used while trivial is ignorable; of little significance or value.

As a noun trivial is

(obsolete) any of the three liberal arts forming the trivium.

useless

English

Adjective

(en-adj)
  • Without use or possibility to be used.
    • This fork has prongs that are bent. It's useless now.
  • Unhelpful, not useful; pointless (of an action).
    • I think it's useless to keep this discussion going. It's like talking to a wall.
    I tried my best to make him quit smoking, but my efforts were useless . He now smokes six packs a day.
  • (pejorative, of a person) good-for-nothing; not dependable.
    • Bill never mows the lawn, takes out the trash or anything. He's useless , but I love him anyways.
  • (colloquial, of a person) unable to do well at a particular task or thing. Useless is mildly insulting.
    • My brother is useless at most computer games, but he is an awesome PS2 player.
    Why do you keep trying? You're obviously useless at it.

    Synonyms

    * (good-for-nothing) good-for-nothing * (unable to do well) unskillful

    Antonyms

    * skillful, useful

    Derived terms

    * uselessly * uselessness

    trivial

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Ignorable; of little significance or value.
  • * 1848, , Bantam Classics (1997), 16:
    • "All which details, I have no doubt, Jones , who reads this book at his Club, will pronounce to be excessively foolish, trivial , twaddling, and ultra-sentimental."
  • Commonplace, ordinary.
  • * De Quincey
    • As a scholar, meantime, he was trivial , and incapable of labour.
  • Concerned with or involving trivia.
  • (biology) Relating to or designating the name of a species; specific as opposed to generic.
  • (mathematics) Of, relating to, or being the simplest possible case.
  • (mathematics) Self-evident.
  • Pertaining to the trivium.
  • (philosophy) Indistinguishable in case of truth or falsity.

    • Synonyms

    * (of little significance) ignorable, negligible, trifling

    Antonyms

    * nontrivial * important * significant * radical * fundamental

    Derived terms

    * trivia

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (obsolete) Any of the three liberal arts forming the trivium.
    • (Skelton)
    (Wood)
    (Webster 1913) ----