neither use nor ornament

adjective

Useless.

“Where is that lad? He's neither use nor ornament!”

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Meanings

adjectiveneither use nor ornament (not comparable)
  1. UKcolloquialeuphemisticnot comparableUseless.

    Where is that lad? He's neither use nor ornament!

Origin

Implying that the subject has neither practical nor aesthetic value.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

neither use nor ornament. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/neither%20use%20nor%20ornament

MLA

“neither use nor ornament.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/neither%20use%20nor%20ornament. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “neither use nor ornament,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/neither%20use%20nor%20ornament.

Source: neither use nor ornament on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.