無益|むえきmueki[1]atamadaka (head-high)

1. na-adjective, no-adjectiveuseless; futile; vain
   自分じぶんが生いきている世界せかいとの共感きょうかんがなければ、作家さっかであることは無益むえきである。↗

   It is no use being a writer if one is not in sympathy with the world in which one is living.

• Synonym無駄むだNeutralThe everyday word for wasted effort or squandering things, e.g. 「無駄遣い」; far more colloquial and common than 「無益」.
• Synonym徒あだWrittenThe same word as above; 「徒」 is merely an alternative written form. Written prose often uses 「無駄を省く」.
• Synonym無用むようNeutralStresses that something is unnecessary or of no use; also covers unauthorised or irrelevant people, as in 「無用の者立入禁止」.
• Synonym無意味むいみNeutralStresses lack of meaning or point; in daily use it is more common than 「無益」.
• SynonymだめNeutralA very common everyday word; stresses that something does not work or is simply not allowed.
• Synonym詮無いせんないWrittenWritten register; stresses that doing something would be no use anyway, e.g. 「言っても詮無いこと」.
• Synonym徒爾とじFormalFormal and rare; stresses effort spent in vain, with a strong Sino-Japanese (kanbun) flavour.
• Synonym益体もないやくたいもないCasualColloquial; stresses being useless and dull, of no value, e.g. 「益体もない話」.
• Synonym甲斐無いかいないNeutralStresses that something has no effect — work done in vain or not worth doing, as in 「努力の甲斐もなく」.
• Synonym甲斐なしかいなしWrittenWritten register; stresses that nothing avails — useless and without hope.
• Related虚しいむなしいNeutralStresses feeling empty inside, or effort that proves futile; covers both the emotional and the vain sense.
• Related不毛ふもうWrittenWritten register; barren land, or figuratively a discussion that produces no results.
• RelatedつまらないCasualColloquial; stresses dullness or triviality — the subjective feeling that something is boring or not worth mentioning.
• Related馬鹿らしいばからしいCasualColloquial; stresses that something is so silly it is not worth doing.
• RelatedくだらないCasualColloquial; stresses trivial, absurd matters not worth mentioning.
• Related不用ふようNeutralStresses things one has no use for, e.g. 「不用品」; applies chiefly to objects.
• Antonym有益ゆうえきWrittenWritten register; the direct opposite of 「無益」 — beneficial, bringing benefit or profit.

Use 「無益」 in written or formal prose for what brings no benefit or is futile, as in 「無益な争い」「無益な殺生」. In everyday speech, wasted effort or waste is 「無駄」; what is simply not needed is 「無用」; a discussion that yields nothing is 「不毛」. For finer shades: 「無意味」 stresses lack of meaning, 「甲斐無い」 effort that comes to nothing, 「虚しい」 emptiness or vain effort, 「駄目」 no good or not allowed; colloquial 「詰らない」「下らない」「馬鹿らしい」 cover dull, trivial or silly things.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. 利益りえきがないこと。役やくに立たたないこと。