listless
Americanadjective
adjective
Related Words
See indifference.
Other Word Forms
- listlessly adverb
- listlessness noun
Etymology
Origin of listless
First recorded in 1400–50, listless is from the late Middle English word lystles. See list 4, -less
Explanation
To be listless is to be lethargic, low spirited, and limp. If a fever has made you feel listless, you might also feel like you are melting into the sofa. If you went to the supermarket without your shopping list, that doesn't mean you're listless. The word originates from the Middle English word liste which meant "desire" (and is related to our word lust). Oddly enough, listen comes from the same origin. If you're too lethargic and out of it to listen, you're listless. It's not just laziness, it's not just fatigue; an utter indifference to whatever is going on around you makes you listless.
Vocabulary lists containing listless
Emotions on Display
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List 8
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Hamilton
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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.
England came into the game on the back of listless losses against Scotland, Ireland and Italy, but were revived, performing with energy and invention that had gone missing for much of their campaign.
From BBC • Mar. 14, 2026
The opening ballad, “Risk It All,” is pretty but listless, with Mr. Mars singing over a gently plucked nylon-string guitar until a relaxed syncopated groove folds in.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 3, 2026
The Treasury market moved in a listless fashion on Tuesday in response to the U.S. intervention in Venezuela — with traders more focused on a busy calendar week that includes Friday’s jobs report for December.
From MarketWatch • Jan. 6, 2026
Shares have been listless since the company’s Nov. 6 annual meeting, down about $6 entering the day.
From Barron's • Nov. 11, 2025
But, you see, Jo wasn’t a heroine, she was only a struggling human girl like hundreds of others, and she just acted out her nature, being sad, cross, listless, or energetic, as the mood suggested.
From "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott
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.
