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Synonyms

shiftless

American  
[shift-lis] / ˈʃɪft lɪs /

adjective

  1. lacking in resourcefulness; inefficient; lazy.

    Synonyms:
    indolent, careless, slothful

  2. lacking in incentive, ambition, or aspiration.

shiftless British  
/ ˈʃɪftlɪs /

adjective

  1. lacking in ambition or initiative

"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

Other Word Forms

  • shiftlessly adverb
  • shiftlessness noun

Etymology

Origin of shiftless

First recorded in 1555–65; shift + -less

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.