unhelpful
gb/ʌnhˈɛlpfəl/ us/ʌnhˈɛlpfəl/
B2
Inglês
Acepções
0 acepção
adjective
B2
property
1
not useful or informative
not useful; it doesn’t help you
Padrão de uso:
[comment/advice/information/response] is unhelpful
Erro comum:
Do not confuse unhelpful (not useful) with helpless (unable to help yourself).
Sinônimos
useless (Stronger; suggests it has no value at all.)
|
unproductive (Emphasizes that it doesn’t lead to progress.)
|
uninformative (Focuses on lack of information.)
Antônimos
helpful (Provides useful help or guidance.)
|
useful (Has practical value for a purpose.)
|
constructive (Aims to improve a situation, especially in feedback.)
Colocações
unhelpful advice
|unhelpful information
|an unhelpful response
|an unhelpful comment
|unhelpful feedback
|an unhelpful answer
|unhelpful guidance
|an unhelpful suggestion
|unhelpful instructions
|an unhelpful explanation
Temas
communication
|daily_life
|education
|work
Exemplos
- The FAQ page was unhelpful and didn’t answer my question.
- That reply is unhelpful—can you be more specific?
- The instructions are so unhelpful that I had to watch a video tutorial.
Exemplos para estudantes
- This information is unhelpful.
- Your answer was unhelpful.
adjective
B2
property
2
not willing to help
not helpful; not cooperative
Padrão de uso:
[someone] is unhelpful (about/with [something])
Erro comum:
Unhelpful describes behavior/attitude; unkind describes rudeness (they can overlap but are not the same).
Sinônimos
uncooperative (Stresses refusal to work with others.)
|
unsupportive (Stresses lack of encouragement or backing.)
|
obstructive (Suggests actively making things harder.)
Antônimos
cooperative (Willing to work with others and help.)
|
supportive (Gives help or encouragement.)
|
accommodating (Willing to adapt to others’ needs.)
Colocações
unhelpful staff
|an unhelpful employee
|unhelpful customer service
|an unhelpful colleague
|an unhelpful receptionist
|an unhelpful official
|an unhelpful attitude
|unhelpful behavior
|unhelpful support
|unhelpful team members
Temas
people
|relationships
|work
|services
Exemplos
- The clerk was unhelpful and refused to explain the policy.
- My landlord has been unhelpful about fixing the heating.
- She tried to ask for advice, but her manager was unhelpful.
Exemplos para estudantes
- The staff were unhelpful.
- My colleague is unhelpful.
adjective
C1
property
3
not constructive or solution-focused
not constructive; it doesn’t improve the situation
Padrão de uso:
unhelpful [thoughts/thinking/assumptions]
Erro comum:
In phrases like unhelpful thoughts, it means ‘not good for you’ rather than ‘not providing information’.
Sinônimos
counterproductive (Emphasizes that it makes the problem worse.)
|
negative (Broader; focuses on pessimistic tone or attitude.)
|
self-defeating (Often used for thoughts/actions that harm your own goals.)
Antônimos
constructive (Aimed at improvement or solutions.)
|
productive (Leads to useful progress.)
Colocações
unhelpful thoughts
|unhelpful thinking
|unhelpful assumptions
|an unhelpful mindset
|unhelpful comparisons
|unhelpful expectations
|unhelpful habits
|unhelpful patterns
|an unhelpful reaction
|an unhelpful approach
Temas
mental_health
|emotions
|communication
Exemplos
- Blaming people is unhelpful when we need a plan.
- It’s unhelpful to compare yourself to others all the time.
- She noticed an unhelpful pattern of thinking and tried to change it.
Exemplos para estudantes
- This kind of thinking is unhelpful.
Gramática
Forma no dicionário
unhelpful
AFI
GB/ʌnhˈɛlpfəl/
US/ʌnhˈɛlpfəl/
Sílabas e tonicidade
un - help - ful (3 sílabas)
Stress on 2nd syllable (help)
Formas da palavra
Adjective
- Base: unhelpful
Expressões
not to be unhelpful, but ...
1/nˈɑt tə bˈi ʌnhˈɛlpfəl | bˈʌt |/
fixed phrase
polite preface to criticism
used to introduce a negative comment politely
Exemplos
- Not to be unhelpful, but you’ve already asked me that twice.
- Not to be unhelpful, but this plan won’t work without more staff.
- Not to be unhelpful, but have you tried restarting your laptop?