Worthless, a.
Etymology: [AS. weorthleás.]
Destitute of worth; having no value, virtue, excellence, dignity, or the like; undeserving; valueless; useless; vile; mean; as, a worthless garment; a worthless ship; a worthless man or woman; a worthless magistrate. 'T is a worthless world to win or lose. Byron. -- Worth"less*ly, adv. -- Worth"less*ness, n.
Shades of meaning
Fernald has no entry of its own for worthless; he lists it under vain.
Where he writes about it:
Useless, in the widest sense, signifies not of use for any valuable purpose, and is thus closely similar to valueless and worthless. — from vain