groundless

adjective

ground·​less ˈgrau̇n(d)-ləs How to pronounce groundless (audio)
: having no ground or foundation
groundless fears
groundlessly adverb
groundlessness noun

Examples of groundless in a Sentence

please stop making groundless accusations against innocent people fears of a strike proved groundless
Recent Examples on the Web That word — rig — suggesting there was something illicit, fishy or not entirely kosher about this week’s California primary, wasn’t just groundless and self-serving. Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024 But most of his assertions on hot-button topics like Jan. 6, the 9/11 terror attacks and demographic changes in the U.S. were groundless or have been repeatedly debunked. Tal Axelrod, ABC News, 7 Dec. 2023 Again, a more sober analysis indicates that these charges are largely groundless. Andrew Cockburn, Harper's Magazine, 10 Sep. 2023 This kicked off a trending hashtag campaign, #BanTheADL, predicated on the groundless idea that the organization has stifled free speech on X (and should therefore have their account removed). Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 5 Sep. 2023 San Diego County has seen groundless antisemitism accusations. Doris Bittar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Aug. 2023 In my case, what looked like courage was probably just a mix of youthful ignorance and groundless optimism. Murr Brewster, The Christian Science Monitor, 25 May 2023 Prior to Wednesday's vote on the Presidential Election Reform Act, supporters emphasized the need for the legislation as numerous election deniers, including those running for office this year, still say the 2020 race shouldn't have been certified, citing groundless claims of voter fraud. Bytal Axelrod and Mariam Khan, ABC News, 21 Sep. 2022 DeSantis had infuriated Trump by contradicting his groundless claim that month that Democrats were inflating the death toll from Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. Isaac Arnsdorf, Josh Dawsey and Hannah Knowles, Anchorage Daily News, 19 Feb. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'groundless.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1602, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of groundless was in 1602

Dictionary Entries Near groundless

Cite this Entry

“Groundless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/groundless. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

groundless

adjective
ground·​less ˈgrau̇n-(d)ləs How to pronounce groundless (audio)
: not justified : having no real basis
groundless fears
groundlessly adverb
groundlessness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on groundless

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!