listlessness

Definition of listlessnessnext
1
as in boredom
physical or mental inertness following a couple of big mistakes early in the game, the team sank into an uncharacteristic listlessness and was never able to recover the lead

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of listlessness But while it’s bound to be emotional, this transition doesn’t have to be a time of listlessness and sadness. Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 5 Mar. 2026 These signs include loss of appetite, weight loss, lack of energy, listlessness or clinginess and loss of interest in physical play. Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Nov. 2025 And the locker room could feel the listlessness heading into the game. Charlotte Observer, 10 Nov. 2025 After a year of listlessness, the Democrats experienced their first major electoral string of victories on Tuesday, sweeping the Republicans in every major race. Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 7 Nov. 2025 According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CWD can take months to years for symptoms to appear, which could include drastic weight loss, stumbling or lack of coordination, drooling and listlessness. Caroline Neal, Louisville Courier Journal, 30 Oct. 2025 In early Christian thinking, its connotations of languor and listlessness, within the spirit no less than the body, lent it the status of a sin—a turning aside from God for the sake of earthly sorrow. Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025 In the second half, veteran center Garrett Bradbury sensed the Patriots offense stalling from its own listlessness. Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 8 Sep. 2025 That rules out decline, listlessness, and materialism. Susan Jostyn, Christian Science Monitor, 5 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for listlessness
Noun
  • Italian nonne stirred pots full of sauce with a look of utter boredom and, here and there, Neapolitan ragazzi sat atop their motorini and gawped at the torture.
    Douglas Stuart, New Yorker, 12 Apr. 2026
  • In some cases, however, there’s more to a creeping sense of boredom than just stability.
    Jenna Ryu, SELF, 8 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Symptoms depend on the patient, but MS can cause muscle weakness, vision changes, walking problems, numbness, and more.
    Allison DeGrushe, StyleCaster, 21 Apr. 2026
  • Verdad Advisers Dan Rasmussen Additionally, a deeper concern for investors is that the current episode is exposing structural weaknesses in the private market model itself.
    Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 20 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Becker advises watching for excessive licking, especially of the paws, drooling, skin irritation, or unusual lethargy.
    Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 11 Apr. 2026
  • Officers on the scene noted clear signs of impairment, notably lethargy, bloodshot eyes, and difficulty with sobriety tests, despite a breathalyzer showing no alcohol.
    Rowan Fisher-Shotton, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • When John begins spitting out his food, his mother, Heather (Shirley Henderson), worn down by exhaustion and anger, banishes him from the dinner table—the first in an unceasing series of maternal rejections.
    Justin Chang, New Yorker, 17 Apr. 2026
  • Sepideh Moafi is incredible in this scene, perfectly hitting every note of the anger, fear, and exhaustion Al-Hashimi is feeling.
    Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 17 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Their apps seem clearly designed, much like TikTok and Candy Crush, to keep users scrolling and tapping in a hypnotic stupor.
    McKay Coppins, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2026
  • Patrons — many just as panicked and some in a drunken stupor — ran by her.
    Emiliano Tahui Gómez, Austin American Statesman, 8 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Symptoms include fatigue, sensitivity to cold, and muscle stiffness.
    Christopher Edwards, PEOPLE, 11 Apr. 2026
  • For example, fatigue is reported in some GLP-1 trials.
    Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 10 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Listlessness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/listlessness. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.

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