lightless
Americanadjective
-
without light or lights; receiving no light; dark.
-
giving no light.
Other Word Forms
- lightlessness noun
Etymology
Origin of lightless
before 1000; Middle English lihtles, Old English lēohtlēas. See light 1, -less
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
While you can’t help but appreciate the cherry red of the deep-sea atolla jellyfish, you will also learn why its unusual pigment persists in the lightless depths.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 21, 2025
Much of the deep ocean is vacant, with extremely cold, lightless regions making it difficult for life as we know it to survive.
From Salon • May 21, 2025
Today, there are more than 300 species of anglerfish, which makes them the most varied family of vertebrates in the ocean’s lightless zone.
From New York Times • May 30, 2024
“At this point we have a lightless lighthouse until the Coast Guard can effect the repairs.”
From Seattle Times • Aug. 2, 2023
One hour, two hours, three hours: how many had they passed in this lightless hole?
From "The Two Towers" by J. R. R. Tolkien
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
