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be unhelpful
/biː ʌnˈhɛlpfəl/
not useful or beneficial
His advice was unhelpful and made the situation worse.
The advice didn't provide useful guidance and actually made things harder.
general
not providing assistance or useful information
The customer service representative was unhelpful and couldn't answer my questions.
The person providing customer service didn't help and couldn't provide answers.
His comments were unhelpful during the meeting.
His remarks didn't contribute positively to the discussion.
Often used to describe people, actions, or information that fail to provide assistance or support.
Collocations
be unhelpful tonot provide assistance to someonean unhelpful attitudea negative or uncooperative mindset
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Context Matters
The phrase 'be unhelpful' is often used to criticize someone's actions or comments, so use it carefully in professional settings.
Gold Rule
Avoid Overuse
While 'unhelpful' is a useful phrase, overusing it can make your communication sound negative or overly critical.
Word Origin
From 'un-' (not) + 'helpful' (providing assistance). The phrase combines the negative prefix 'un-' with the adjective 'helpful' to indicate the opposite meaning.
Usage Notes
This phrase is commonly used in both formal and informal contexts to describe actions, comments, or behaviors that do not provide assistance or support.
Word Breakdown
un-
not
prefixhelpful
providing assistance
rootEnglish Dictionary