Unhelpfully: meaning, definitions and examples
🙅♀️
unhelpfully
[ ʌnˈhɛlpfəli ]
describing actions
Unhelpfully is used to describe an action or response that does not provide assistance or support. It indicates a lack of helpfulness in a situation where help is expected or needed.
Synonyms
detrimentally, unavailingly, unbeneficially
Examples of usage
- She answered the question unhelpfully, giving only vague responses.
- The instructions were unhelpfully complex, leaving everyone confused.
- He unhelpfully pointed out the mistakes without offering solutions.
Translations
Translations of the word "unhelpfully" in other languages:
🇵🇹 inútilmente
🇮🇳 असहायक रूप से
🇩🇪 unnütz
🇮🇩 tidak membantu
🇺🇦 непомічно
🇵🇱 niepomocnie
🇯🇵 役に立たない形で
🇫🇷 inutilement
🇪🇸 inútilmente
🇹🇷 faydasız bir şekilde
🇰🇷 도움이 되지 않게
🇸🇦 بشكل غير مفيد
🇨🇿 neužitečně
🇸🇰 neužitočne
🇨🇳 无用地
🇸🇮 neuporabno
🇮🇸 ónyt
🇰🇿 пайдасыз
🇬🇪 არასახმარებლად
🇦🇿 köməksiz
🇲🇽 inútilmente
Etymology
The word 'unhelpfully' is derived from the adjective 'helpful', which has its roots in Old English 'helpful', meaning 'giving help'. The prefix 'un-' is added to convey the opposite meaning. The earliest documented use of 'help' dates back to the Old English term 'helpan', which means 'to contribute to someone's well-being or ease'. Over time, 'helpful' emerged in Middle English, evolving from the combination of 'help' and the suffix '-ful', indicating 'full of or characterized by'. The adverbial form 'unhelpfully' likely developed in the late 20th century as a way to articulate actions or behaviors that fail to assist or support others, emphasizing a negative connotation. This term reflects contemporary linguistic patterns of adding prefixes to modify meanings, allowing for more precise expression in conversation and writing.
Word Frequency Rank
Ranking #39,171, this word is encountered relatively rarely in everyday English. It might appear in literary works or specialized texts but isn't essential for general communication.
- ...
- 39168 abash
- 39169 blabbed
- 39170 sopped
- 39171 unhelpfully
- 39172 purposelessness
- 39173 sudsy
- 39174 inebriating
- ...