PURPOSELESS Synonyms: 47 Similar and Opposite Words

purposeless

adjective

Definition of purposeless

as in aimless

having or seeming to have no purpose or reason I have to go to another purposeless meeting tonight. purposeless suffering

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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 purposeless Religion gives meaning to human lives, which otherwise can feel purposeless. — WSJ, 21 Dec. 2021 In How To Do Nothing, Jenny Odell talks about how the pursuit of productivity — driven by capitalism, competition, and consumption — has redirected our attention outward, leaving us feeling empty and purposeless. — refinery29.com, 7 Sep. 2021 Although gender is effectively purposeless—if not irrelevant—in gaming, my brothers reflected society's obsession with forcing others to choose between pink or blue. — Jamie Valentino, Wired, 22 June 2021 These protests are nearly all disingenuous, false and specious, and meant to utilize fear to continue a tragic and purposeless war. — Matthew Hoh, CNN, 17 May 2021 See All Example Sentences for purposeless

Recent Examples of Synonyms for purposeless

Adjective

The film deals with an urban legend that a Nevada reservoir is a time portal, and the aimless group of teenage best friends who become obsessed with going back in history.

— Brent Lang, IndieWire, 24 Sep. 2026
Youth sports, once the redoubt of aimless childhood play, have become hopelessly commercialized.

— Nora Kenney Mittiga, Washington Post, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of aimless

Adjective

Functional performance has always been counted in throughput, cost per transaction and cycle time, and those measures become close to meaningless once the routine work runs itself.

— Charisma Glassman, Forbes.com, 2 Oct. 2026
If all of City’s results are to be scrapped this season, next season, or in four seasons to come, then whatever happens in the meantime is somewhat meaningless.

— Ben Church, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of meaningless

Adjective

Violent crime, once almost unknown on the island, is rising sharply—another sign of the state’s haphazard retreat.

— Will Freeman, Foreign Affairs, 17 Sep. 2026
With no clear guidance, haphazard and improvised efforts by companies to clean the homes left 6 in 10 residences still unsafe.

— Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of haphazard

Adjective

The bus and a security checkpoint booth were damaged, and one border service employee suffered minor injuries, police said.

— HANNA ARHIROVA, Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026
In the 120 years that the State Russian Museum has owned the painting, only minor conservation has been carried out.

— Hikmat Mohammed, ARTnews.com, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of minor

Adjective

While her work regularly brings her into close proximity with children, Uta has little interest in starting a family of her own.

— Guy Lodge, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026
His viewing has little to do with finance, ranging from 1950s commercials to Uzbekistan’s version of America’s Got Talent.

— Preston Fore, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of little

Adjective

Jo, who is still desperately trying to earn her orange back, and more power to her, brings Alexis over to Heather for another pointless conversation.

— Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2026
Storming a podium at a meeting of academics is a pointless performative act.

— Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 26 Sep. 2026

Definition of pointless

Adjective

Valadao, a Republican from Hanford, has won the seat in six of the last seven elections despite the district’s slight Democratic tilt.

— Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 7 Oct. 2026
In their paper from September, Minzer and his colleagues proved a slight variant of Khot’s second conjecture that has nearly the same consequences.

— Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of slight

Browse Nearby Words

purposefulness

purposeless

purposely

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Style

“Purposeless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purposeless. Accessed 11 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of purposeless

adjective

Example Sentences

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