thneed

noun

1. A useless product which is advertised as being needed by everybody, but which in fact no one needs.

   “Do You Really, I Mean REALLY, Need a Thneed?”

   “I needed orange juice, a toothbrush, a blood transfusion, a Bloody Mary, Abigale Ponders, Leslie Cunningham, a Thneed, someone to watch over me, a miracle every day—anything but a moment of truth between myself and Zelmo Swift.”

   “Call now—the remarkable 'thneed' is available only while supplies last...””

   “I saw someone call AI a Thneed and I can't stop thinking about it. It's a PERFECT analogy. The Thneed was an all-purpose tool that didn't do anything really useful. It was a fad that did major damage to the environment to make the Onceler a billionare. It left no real lasting impact, only damage.”