unhelpfulun‧help‧ful /ʌnˈhelpfəl/ adjective 
- The customs officials were impatient, rude, and unhelpful.
- Among the remaining patients, computed tomography was helpful in 19%, but unhelpful or wrong in 23%.
- But a national debate on architecture at this level is as banal as it is unhelpful.
- For anyone not already familiar with these works, the presentation is unhelpful.
- None of this behaviour adopted by professionals is intended to be unhelpful.
- The large number of parses produced are unnecessary and unhelpful in the recognition application.
- This is ultimately unhelpful to women.
words for describing someone or something that is not helpful► not helpful/unhelpful · He bought a book on relaxation techniques but it wasn't very helpful.· The authorities weren't helpful at all when Rob reported his passport stolen.· I found the sales assistants most unhelpful.
► be no help/not be any help/not be much help if something or someone is no help they do not help you do something or get something: · Clarissa was no help - she just sat around and watched TV.· The phrase book wasn't much help in carrying on a conversation.
► uncooperative not wanting to help someone who wants you to help them, especially by deliberately opposing them or stopping them doing something easily: · Many of the older patients are uncooperative and difficult for the nurses to handle.· Hubbel has been a very uncooperative witness.
► useless especially spoken not giving any help - use this when you are annoyed with someone or something because they should help you but they do not: · I tried calling the tax office but they were completely useless.completely/absolutely useless: · There's no point reading the instructions - they're completely useless.
► not lift a finger if someone does not lift a finger , they do not help when help is wanted or needed, especially because they are lazy: · She stayed with us for two weeks and never lifted a finger the whole time.· Police knew there would be a fight, but they didn't lift a finger to try and stop it.
nounhelphelperhelpfulness ≠ unhelpfulnesshelpinghelplessnessadjectivehelpful ≠ unhelpfulhelplessadverbhelpfully ≠ unhelpfullyhelplesslyverbhelp
The authorities are being particularly unhelpful.—unhelpfully adverb—unhelpfulness noun [uncountable]