What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
needlessly
Example
He needlessly spent hours trying to fix the computer when it was just a simple problem. [needlessly: adverb]
Example
The company wasted money on needlessly expensive office furniture. [needlessly: adverb]
unnecessarily
Example
She unnecessarily added extra sugar to the recipe, making it too sweet. [unnecessarily: adverb]
Example
The teacher gave us unnecessarily difficult homework that took hours to complete. [unnecessarily: adverb]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Unnecessarily is more commonly used than needlessly in everyday language. Unnecessarily is more versatile and covers a wider range of contexts, while needlessly is less common and tends to be used in more specific situations.
What’s the difference in the tone of formality between needlessly and unnecessarily?
Both needlessly and unnecessarily are relatively formal words that are more likely to be used in written language or formal speech than in casual conversation.
