(informal) a person, thing, or situation that is completely useless or unprofitable
2.
a complete loss for which no compensation is received
Idioms and Phrases with dead loss
dead loss
.
A total loss, as in They've changed the currency, so these old coins are a dead loss. [ Early 1700s ]
.
A worthless person or thing; also, an utter waste of time. For example, With an injured knee he's a dead loss to the team, or It rained every day, so our week at the beach was a dead loss. [ 1920s ]