listlessness

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 In the second half, veteran center Garrett Bradbury sensed the Patriots offense stalling from its own listlessness. Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 8 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for listlessness
Noun
  • The sentiment is notably devoid of any sense of boredom or burnout from the 22-year-old who signed his first recording contract at 15.
    Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 2 Oct. 2025
  • Hegel even worried that the world would reach a state of global boredom.
    Richard Stengel, Time, 1 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Though the Red Sox did shoot themselves in the foot with base-running, fielding and bunting failures in Game 2, thus costing them their shot at reaching the ALDS, Game 3 was a bit more representative of the Red Sox and their weaknesses.
    Michael Hurley, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
  • However, other small business indicators show weakness.
    Jeff Cox, CNBC, 3 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Then mix in the signs of grieving—lethargy, loss of appetite, weight loss, destructive behavior—that, when left untreated, can lead to health complications.
    Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Oct. 2025
  • My friend points to her husband’s lethargy as a sign of illness, though neither of them detected it at the time.
    Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 30 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Additionally, multitasking contributes to mental fatigue and negatively impacts overall well-being, with some participants reporting feelings of exhaustion after.
    Diane Brady, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2025
  • An intimate portrait of love and exhaustion that finds the comic edge in ordinary chaos.
    Anna Marie de la Fuente, Variety, 1 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Symptoms of the more serious illness include high fever, headache, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, vision loss, numbness and paralysis, according to the CDC.
    Madeline Heim, jsonline.com, 1 Oct. 2025
  • The director does get solid performances out of his French and Italian cast, with the engaging Ronchi (Marco Bellocchio’s Sweet Dreams) playing a softspoken woman who seems to be in some kind of permanent stupor until her confessions bring her back to life.
    Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • There was some fatigue in our performance, but the group are always so professional and so hungry to win.
    George Caulkin, New York Times, 6 Oct. 2025
  • Prolonged exposure to a heat index above 80 degrees can lead to fatigue, as previously reported by USA TODAY.
    Brandi D. Addison, jsonline.com, 3 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Listlessness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/listlessness. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.

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