Sign In Get Started
Prepositions after adjectives

Worthless in or worthless to?

Worthless to is the common pattern when something has no value or use for someone. Worthless in usually introduces a situation or field where something has no value.

Quick answer

Which preposition is used after worthless?

Use worthless to when describing lack of value or usefulness for a person or purpose. Worthless in can describe a context or situation where something has no value.

The old password is worthless to hackers now.
Experience alone is worthless in this role.
The coupon became worthless to customers after June.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
worthless to + person/group

No value or use for someone

To introduces the person or group receiving no benefit.

The advice was worthless to beginners.
2
worthless in + situation/field

No value within a context

In can identify the context where something lacks value.

That qualification is worthless in this industry.
3
worthless without + thing

Depending on something else

Without can show that something loses value if another thing is missing.

The device is worthless without internet access.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
worthless to
The data is worthless to advertisers.
having no use or value for someone
worthless in
Old methods are worthless in modern factories.
having no value within a context
worthless for
This key is worthless for opening the door.
possible when referring to a specific purpose
worthless at
He is worthless at tennis.
informal criticism of skill, directed at a person

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using to for contexts instead of people

Use in for industries, systems, or situations.

✕ The certificate is worthless to this market. ✓ The certificate is worthless in this market.

Using in for people

Use to when referring to usefulness for someone.

✕ The update was worthless in users. ✓ The update was worthless to users.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The software is worthless ___ small businesses.
2. Those skills are worthless ___ this profession.
3. The machine is worthless ___ electricity.

Check your sentence in context

Paste the complete sentence below. Linguix checks the preposition together with grammar, spelling, punctuation, and style.

Free to try · No signup required

Frequently asked questions

Is worthless to more common than worthless in?

Worthless to is the usual pattern when talking about usefulness for people or purposes.

Can worthless in be correct?

Yes. It refers to a situation or field where something has no value.

Can worthless describe people?

It can, but it is strongly negative and often considered rude.

warm-in-up-for-to, with wary of, about or in? weak in, on, at, for or from? wealthy in, of, by, from or with? weary of, from, in, with or about? wedded to, by, for, in or into? weekly for, in, on, with or to? weird for, to, about, in or with? "welcome to" or "welcome in"? "welcoming of" or "welcoming to"? "well-known for" or "well-known in"? well-received by, in, at, among or with?

Write with confidence in Linguix

Create a free account to check complete texts, apply suggestions, and save your documents.

Create a free account