mindless

adjective

mind·​less ˈmīn(d)-ləs 

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

Synonyms of mindless

• dumb
• stupid
• slow
• simple
• thick
• dense

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

Yet the defense industry’s disbursement of billions of dollars to lobby Congress and influence policy debates helps drive the United States’ mindless militarism. — Emma Ashford, Foreign Affairs, 12 Aug. 2026

Replace mindless scrolling with a skill that keeps paying off. — Stackcommerce Team, PC Magazine, 9 Aug. 2026

The randomness and unpredictability of existence, the mindless violence of it, necessitated myth. — Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 17 July 2026

These devices purposefully hinder mindless hours of social media scrolling and endless access to work emails. — Greta Cross, USA Today, 7 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

mindless

adjective

mind·​less ˈmīn-(d)ləs 

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