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View synonyms for nameless

nameless

[ neym-lis ]

adjective

  1. having no name.
  2. left unnamed:

    a certain person who shall be nameless.

  3. anonymous:

    a nameless source of information.

  4. incapable of being specified or described:

    a nameless charm.

  5. too shocking or vile to be specified:

    a nameless crime.

  6. having no legitimate paternal name, as a child born out of wedlock.
  7. unknown to fame; obscure:

    a nameless poet; nameless defenders of the country.



nameless

/ ˈneɪmlɪs /

adjective

  1. without a name; anonymous
  2. incapable of being named; indescribable

    a nameless horror seized him

  3. too unpleasant or disturbing to be mentioned

    nameless atrocities

  4. having no legal name; illegitimate

    a nameless child

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Derived Forms

  • ˈnamelessness, noun
  • ˈnamelessly, adverb
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Other Words From

  • nameless·ly adverb
  • nameless·ness noun
  • quasi-nameless adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of nameless1

Middle English word dating back to 1275–1325; name, -less
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Example Sentences

In horror movies there are always nameless victims, sacrificed for a scare or two.

And to the local citizens who blocked the migrant workers’ children from going to school, the children were nameless.

From Salon

So we had started researching Harris. . . and the hints we were getting from people inside the Biden group, who shall remain nameless, were, “If he goes, it's her. It's obviously her.”

From Salon

The machine that propelled both stars from nameless children to superstars was grueling, especially for Lovato, who was physically and mentally burnt out.

From Salon

Her previous artwork was influenced by the nameless victims of drug-trafficking violence, whose unidentifiable bodies passed through the morgue.

From BBC

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Related Words

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More About Nameless

What does nameless mean?

Nameless means having no name, as in Emily Dickensen’s poems are all nameless, so we refer to them by their first lines instead.

Nameless also means anonymous, as in Journalists sometimes use nameless sources of information in order to get the details they need for their stories.

You might use nameless to describe something incapable of being described, such as a nameless charm.

Example: A nameless writer created one of the world’s most well-known proverbs.

Where does nameless come from?

The first records of the term nameless come from the late 1200s. It comes from Middle English and combines the term name, meaning “word that something is called by,” and the suffix less, meaning “without.”

Nameless describe something as literally not having a name or can be used in specific cases when a name is not given, as in The worker who will remain nameless said that the manager walked out on Sunday. It can also be used when something is revered as so good or so awful that words cannot describe it, as in The nameless appeal of superhero movies has taken the world by storm.

Did you know … ?

What are some other forms related to nameless?

  • namelessly (adverb)
  • namelessness (noun)
  • quasi-nameless (adjective)

What are some synonyms for nameless?

What are some words that share a root or word element with nameless?

What are some words that often get used in discussing nameless?

How is nameless used in real life?

Nameless is used to describe something or someone that doesn’t have a name.

 

 

Try using nameless!

Is nameless used correctly in the following sentence?

To avoid promoting the crime he did, the traitor will remain nameless in news reports.

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name-droppingnamely