Meaning & use
listless
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Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Having no energy or desire to do anything, usually because of tiredness, illness, heat or boredom.
Grammar: Describes a person, animal or mood and can follow be or feel: The puppy seemed listless.
Patterns
- feel listless
- look listless
After two days of fever, the child lay listless on the sofa.
The heat made everyone in the office listless by mid-afternoon.
She gave a listless wave and went back to bed.
adjectivecomparable
Showing little interest, effort or enthusiasm, as in a weak performance or half-hearted attempt.
Grammar: Often comes before a noun: a listless performance.
Patterns
- a listless performance
- listless about something
The team played a listless game and lost by ten points.
He gave a listless answer and stared at the clock.
The market was listless, with few buyers and little trading.
Word forms
| comparative | more listless |
|---|---|
| superlative | most listless |
Common combinations
- feel listless
- I always feel listless after a long flight.
- listless and tired
- The patient was listless and tired for several days.
- listless performance
- The singer's listless performance disappointed the crowd.
- grow listless
- The students grew listless as the lecture dragged on.
- listless gaze
- He stared out the window with a listless gaze.
Synonyms and how they differ
- lethargic
- Lethargic is stronger and can suggest an abnormal, sometimes medical, sluggishness, while listless is more about lack of interest.
- languid
- Languid can sound graceful and relaxed, whereas listless sounds more negative and drained.
- lifeless
- Lifeless suggests a complete absence of vitality, as if dead, while listless describes someone who is merely low on energy.
- apathetic
- Apathetic describes a lasting lack of concern about things, but listless more often describes a temporary state of weakness.
Opposites
Word family
- listlessly adverb
- in a tired or uninterested way
- listlessness noun
- the state of having no energy or interest
Commonly confused: listless or restless? listless or lifeless?
listless vs restless
Restless means unable to stay still or relax, while listless means lacking energy; they are close to opposites.
listless vs lifeless
Lifeless refers to something dead or dull, while a listless person is alive but weary.
Practice
The dog lay by the door all day, refusing food and ignoring the ball. The vet said it seemed ______.
Choose one answer.
Listless describes an animal with no energy or interest. Restless is the opposite, with constant movement, and reckless and ruthless describe behavior, not tiredness.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “listless”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.