mindless

adjective

mind·​less ˈmīn(d)-ləs How to pronounce mindless (audio)
1
a
: marked by a lack of mind or consciousness
a mindless sleep
b(1)
: marked by or displaying no use of the powers of the intellect
mindless violence
(2)
: requiring little attention or thought
especially : not intellectually challenging or stimulating
mindless work
a mindless movie
2
: not mindful : heedless
mindless of the consequences
mindlessly adverb
mindlessness noun

Examples of mindless in a Sentence

The article was a mindless piece of nonsense. The movie has been criticized for its mindless violence. a mindless waste of time He seemed to be completely mindless of the danger he was facing. She was mindless of her appearance.
Recent Examples on the Web The scene dispelled the popular image of the singer as a mindless, erotic elf and cemented her status as someone not to mess with, someone willing to draw a little blood. Myriam Gurba, Los Angeles Times, 15 Feb. 2024 Back then, the 24-hour news cycle was still a new thing, and comfort-viewing — consuming mindless content as an escape from the real world's harsh complexities — wasn't as much of a necessity. Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 14 Jan. 2024 Kyle Anderson picked up a mindless technical foul from the bench with 90 seconds to play in regulation to essentially grant Chicago (24-27) a free point. Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2024 The gadgets have made their way into office buildings and onto subway commutes, dutifully serving as the mindless activity our restless hands crave. Sonia Rao, Kansas City Star, 31 Jan. 2024 And maybe a future generation will look back at the fin de siècle moment when every B-level-and-lower horror/action hybrid had mindless editing, no color palette, and rap-rock bands on the soundtrack. Stephen Deusner, SPIN, 22 Jan. 2024 Establishing specific tasks that can be completed helps insure against mindless wandering through websites and job boards. Amy Lindgren, Twin Cities, 20 Jan. 2024 Armchair critics have already interpreted Mean Girls (2024) as another example of entertainment’s downward spiral into mindless reboot culture. Daniel Rodgers, Vogue, 9 Jan. 2024 Create a meal and snack schedule that prioritizes balanced meals and helps avoid mindless snacking. Leeann Weintraub, Hartford Courant, 3 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mindless.' 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 at sense 1a

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

Dictionary Entries Near mindless

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

mindless

adjective
mind·​less ˈmīn-(d)ləs How to pronounce mindless (audio)
1
a
: lacking the ability to think, feel, or respond
a mindless killer
b
: showing no use of the intelligence
mindless violence
2
: not mindful
mindlessly adverb
mindlessness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on mindless

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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