Syntaxiom

unhelpful

/ənˈhɛɫpfəɫ/ adj B2 ✓

**Unhelpful** describes actions, remarks, or objects that fail to aid or improve a situation. It signals that something offers no benefit and may even impede progress. Often the word appears when advice or tools miss the mark. It can apply to people who give irrelevant advice, to policies that complicate rather than simplify, or to information that is inaccurate or incomplete. The term carries a mild reproach, implying that the speaker expected assistance but got none. Use it when the lack of usefulness is clear, not when something is merely neutral.

【核心含义】指行为、言语或物品未能提供有效帮助，甚至可能阻碍进展。

常用于形容建议不切实际、政策繁琐无效或信息有误；隐含轻微责备语气，强调期待落空而非单纯中性。

【Significado central】Califica acciones, comentarios, objetos o personas que no brindan ayuda ni mejoran una situación, e incluso pueden dificultarla.

Implica un reproche leve: expresa que se esperaba algún tipo de apoyo o solución y no se recibió. Es frecuente en expresiones como *unhelpful advice* (consejos inútiles o que no vienen al caso), *unhelpful information* (información inexacta o incompleta) y *unhelpful staff* (personal que no orienta ni resuelve). Úsalo solo cuando la falta de utilidad sea clara, no para describir algo meramente neutral. No lo confundas con "inútil" (enfatiza la falta total de propósito) ni con "desagradable" (describe el trato, no la utilidad).

Word Origin Unhelpful is un- + helpful, with help from Old English helpan, from PIE *kel- 'to help.' The breakdown un+help+ful makes it clear: not full of help. Helpful itself is 'full of help,' so unhelpful is the opposite. The same root *kel- is surprisingly also in words like accelerate? No, that's different. Actually, *kel- is only in help. So it's a simple Germanic word that's been helpful for centuries.

adj Not providing help or assistance; not helpful. B2 ✓

His unhelpful comments only made the situation more confusing.

(形容词) 无益的；没有帮助的

他毫无帮助的评论只会让情况更加混乱。

(adjetivo) inútil; poco útil; deservicial [Que no proporciona ayuda ni asistencia; que no es útil.]

Sus comentarios poco útiles solo hicieron que la situación fuera más confusa.

(adjectif) inutile; inefficace; inopérant [Qui n'apporte aucune aide ni assistance ; qui n'est d'aucun secours.]

Ses commentaires **inutiles** n'ont fait que rendre la situation plus confuse.

(Adjektiv) nicht hilfreich; unhilfreich [keine Hilfe oder Unterstützung bietend; nicht hilfreich.]

Seine **unhelpful**en Kommentare haben die Situation nur noch verwirrender gemacht.

(形容詞) 助けや支援を提供しない。役に立たない。

彼の役に立たないコメントは、状況を一層混乱させただけだった。

(adjetivo) inútil; não prestativo; improdutivo; infrutuoso [Que não oferece ajuda ou assistência; não prestativo.]

Os comentários inúteis dele só tornaram a situação mais confusa.

Synonyms: useless uncooperative obstructive unaccommodating unproductive Antonyms: helpful useful cooperative supportive
Word parts: un + help + ful

Common collocations

be verb to prep this adj would verb can verb may verb find verb often adv very adv most adv also adv as prep

Related words

helpful helper helpless helplessly helplessness helpfully unhelpfully

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