1.
good-for-nothing; useless person; useless thing
A person or thing that serves no useful purpose or fails to perform adequately.
この役立たず！
You're useless!
役立たずと言われて悔しかった。
I felt frustrated at being called a good-for-nothing.
壊れた傘はもう役立たずだから捨てよう。
The broken umbrella is useless now, so let's throw it away.
Formed from 役に立つ (to be useful) + ず (classical negative suffix). Literally "one that doesn't serve a purpose." When directed at people, it is a strong insult. Can also describe objects that have lost their function.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 役立たずの道具: a useless tool
- 役立たず扱い: treated as useless
- 役立たずと呼ばれる: to be called useless
USAGE:
A harsh, insulting word when directed at people. Often appears in fiction, drama, and anime. In real life, calling someone 役立たず is quite offensive. Can be used self-deprecatingly in a humorous context.
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 無能: incompetent — more formal insult
- 使い物にならない: unusable, no good — describes things or people that don't function
- 駄目: no good — broader and less harsh