lifeless

adjective

life·​less ˈlīf-ləs How to pronounce lifeless (audio)
: having no life:
a
: dead
b
c
: lacking qualities expressive of life and vigor : insipid
d
: destitute of living beings
lifelessly adverb
lifelessness noun

Examples of lifeless in a Sentence

a cold and lifeless landscape The book's plot was lifeless and predictable.
Recent Examples on the Web Without it, the internet would resemble nothing so much as an after-hours arcade, lifeless and dark. Sheon Han, WIRED, 4 Mar. 2024 In addition, analysis of dozens of videos, including an edited video released by the Israel Defense Forces, reveals that crowds ran and ducked while lifeless bodies lay in the road near two Israeli armored vehicles. Jonathan Baran, Washington Post, 1 Mar. 2024 Battling to stay alive in the Western Conference playoff race, the Wild laid an egg in a lifeless, 6-0 loss to Arizona in a head-to-head matchup of teams eager to eliminate the other from contention. John Shipley, Twin Cities, 14 Jan. 2024 Her lifeless body was found in an alley near Keefe Avenue and Palmer Street. Chris Ramirez, Journal Sentinel, 21 Feb. 2024 Even when all might be lost in a hopeless desert of lifeless toxic sludge, the future feels bright. Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 21 Jan. 2024 Well, Radcliffe plays a corpse whose lifeless body provides the means of survival for a man stranded on a desert island (Paul Dano). EW.com, 26 Oct. 2023 About four hours later, Hicks’ son discovered her lifeless body in the same room. Robert Salonga, The Mercury News, 8 Feb. 2024 Kansas City’s offense remained lifeless for most of the remaining minutes, being forced to punt for five consecutive possessions and keeping the Ravens error-prone offense within striking distance. Steve Almasy, CNN, 28 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lifeless.' 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

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of lifeless was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near lifeless

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

lifeless

adjective
life·​less ˈlī-fləs How to pronounce lifeless (audio)
: having no life
lifelessly adverb
lifelessness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on lifeless

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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