Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

The Most Useless Gifts People Have Ever Received

The Most Useless Gifts People Have Ever Received
Kateryna Hliznitsova/Unsplash

Reddit user magdalene_kk asked: 'what's the most useless gift you've ever gotten?'

Let's be honest. We all enjoy the kind gesture of gift-giving–especially when you're on the receiving end.

Sometimes the gift you receive symbolizes friendships, or something simple that acknowledges how special you are from a work colleague.

Even gag gifts are fun. After all, the gift-giver has taken the time to look for an item that will trigger a hilarious response, knowing you might get a kick out of it, perhaps due to an inside joke.

After all, it's the thought that counts, right?

Occasionally, however, you might receive a gift that will make you want to hide an ungrateful expression on your face as people are watching.

What could those be?


Strangers online had a few ideas after Redditor magdalene_kk asked:

"What's the most useless gift you've ever gotten?"

Intentions behind these gifts were questioned.

Wrong Size

" Clothes that were too small. Intentionally small."

"I’m a size 4 (I’m short). My aunt got me some really nice tops in a size 0 because 'you looked so good last summer when you got all svelte.'”

"I had bronchitis and lost 10lbs."

– Dramiotic

Reading Material

"My former MIL used to 'gift' me all the owners manuals from her small appliances purchased in last year as an actual Christmas gift. The first year this happened I was very perplexed. She of course explained 'I read of these things'. For stuff I actually owned but for her electric knife sharpener or (my favorite) the garbage disposal they had installed lol"

– Mundane-Cabinet9883

Not A Win-Win

"I was in college across the country but went to visit my mother. For Christmas she gave me a stack of board games (trivial pursuit, Life...) but when I want to leave she said they had to stay there. We never played [board] games but she wanted an excuse to buy them for herself. Thanks.... merry Christmas I guess."

– azorianmilk

Sometimes, the gift-giver is a little presumptuous thinking the recipient would actually use and appreciate the gift.

Niche Appliance

"A quesadilla maker. I know their heart was in the right place, but it was HUGE, impossible to clean, and doesn't do anything that I can't already do with a normal non-stick frying pan. One of quickest gifts I've ever gotten rid of after taking it home. It was literally too big for any of our cupboards."

– DevinBelow

The Dullest Cut

"That's such a mood. Got a set of knives from my parents a couple years back. I do a lot of cooking, they thought it would be a nice gift. The knives themselves were trash, I can stand the chefs knife point first on the back of my hand and it won't break the skin. And the block they came in couldn't be cleaned, so that's not much use either. I don't want to be ungrateful, but holy hell."

– CheesusAlmighty

Not For Every Occasion

"My wife got me a travel lint roller for Christmas. Granted I was on my way to Iraq...so technically I was about to travel, but lint was the least of my worries."

– GOAT0352

Out Of Tune

"A Harmonica from my mother one Christmas."

"She said it was something musical and cost her €30, I was convinced it was the Red Hot Chili Pepper DVD I kept mentioning and really wanted."

"I was really into playing guitar at the time, but had zero interest in a harmonica in some random off key."

– PatTheLogicalLiar

And these just might be the absolute worst, "Are you kidding me?" type gifts.

Ye Olde Log

"My MIL regifted me a Christmas gift she never even opened. It was a loaf of homemade sourdough bread that had undergone a year of anaerobic decomposition."

– zenos_dog

No Value

"An expired gift card…"

– Chaitoshi

"I've gotten those too. They're usually just gift cards someone else has gotten, but never got around to using."

– JackFisherBooks

Sugar Rush

"Cheap sweets from my in laws. Like off brand cookies, donuts, etc. After the conversation about being diabetic. Also after a conversation about my parents being pastry chefs. I didn't take them with me when I left their house."

– cardinal1977

Imposter

"A cheap knock-off Barbie doll. It was a secret Santa gift the girl who gave it to me said it could be my girlfriend. I just gave it to my niece who wasn't so thrilled about it either."

– Beneficial-Jelly5746

You don't have to spend a lot of money to delight someone with a gift.

But if you're going to spend a few bucks on the cheapest knock-off brand treats from the dollar store, make sure you remember the person for whom it's intended isn't a diabetic.

Also, don't dump your unwanted Christmas presents from last year under the guise of a goodwill gesture.

That's just unacceptable.

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Donald Trump
Samuel Corum/Getty Images

Trump Dragged After Firing Off Panicked Posts Blaming Everyone But Himself For GOP Losses On Election Night

President Donald Trump was widely mocked after sharing a flurry of posts on Truth Social after it became clear that Democrats were crushing Republicans across the country during yesterday's election.

Democrats won significant victories in races around the country, particularly in Virginia, where Abigail Spanberger became the first woman to the win the governorship in the state's history, and in New York City, where Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist, successfully took on the establishment to become the first South Asian, first Muslim, and first millennial mayor-elect.

Keep ReadingShow less
students in classroom
Maskot/Getty Images

Mom Dragged For Melting Down Over Daughter's Puberty Lesson After Ignoring School's Permission Slip

Delta Ozzimo, a self-identified sex workers' rights activist, sounded off on social media after her pre-teen daughter came home with worksheets depicting basic female anatomy.

Ozzimo, whose right-wing posts include ethnocentric and racist language, initially gained some sympathy for her outrage. The mother claimed she wasn't given a chance to consent to her fifth-grade daughter's participation in a Planned Parenthood-led sex education unit by her school.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Seth Meyers discussing Donald Trump
@MarcoFoster/X

Seth Meyers Responds To Trump's 'Truly Deranged' Personal Attack Against Him With Hilarious Takedown

After President Donald Trump lashed out at late-night host Seth Meyers on Truth Social over the weekend and called him a "truly deranged lunatic," Meyers responded to Trump’s “ranting and raving” about him with a damning supercut on his program.

Trump apparently tuned in to Thursday night’s episode of Late Night with Seth Meyers, where Meyers poked fun at the president’s complaints about Navy aircraft carriers using electromagnetic catapults instead of traditional steam-powered ones. Meyers joked that Trump "spends more time thinking about catapults than Wile E. Coyote."

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @rootednjoyy's TikTok video
@rootednjoyy/TikTok

Girl's Hilarious Reaction To Getting Divisive Candy For Halloween Caught On Doorbell Cam

In the '80s and '90s, kids were raised with the understanding that they got what they got, and they should say, "Thank you," for what they received. This was true for birthdays, holidays, and trick-or-treating on Halloween, even if they got candy they wanted to throw away the instant they turned the corner.

But kids today are much more communicative about what they like and don't like, and they can be brutal in their bluntness.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Marjorie Taylor Greene
ABC

MTG Just Admitted The Awkward Truth About The Republican Healthcare Plan On 'The View'

Speaking on The View, Georgia Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene spoke about sparring with House Speaker Mike Johnson over healthcare—and revealed that the GOP does not have any replacement for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) despite what Johnson and her fellow congressional conservatives tell the public.

Democrats have continued to reject Republicans’ proposed continuing resolution to keep the government open without considering an extension of the premium tax credit that helps subsidize health insurance for people earning between 100% and 400% of the federal poverty level.

Keep ReadingShow less