Worthlessly

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. In a fashion that conveys no value or importance
2. In a way that offers no utility or worth
3. In a manner that lacks any significant worth or usefulness

Etymology: "Worthlessly" is simply "worthless" with the adverbial ending "-ly" added, and it is a plain formation rather than a word with a dramatic backstory. The base "worthless" is itself built from "worth" plus the suffix "-less," meaning "without," so the word describes an action carried out in a way that lacks value. The suffix traces back a long way. The "-ly" ending comes from Old English "-līċe," which was used to turn adjectives into adverbs, and it descends from a Proto-Germanic form meaning something like "body" or "form," so that "-ly" once carried the sense of "in the shape or manner of" the adjective. Over centuries it became the standard way to make English adverbs, so "worthlessly" follows a pattern that is very old and very productive.