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

Last year, the offense was aimless, punchless and ill-suited for Gio Lopez’s skill set.

— The Athletic College Football Staff, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Dark skies, aimless days and spring wildflowers draw many people.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of aimless

Adjective

The grand scale of cosmic time reminds her (and us) that social mores and strictures are tiny, meaningless things, that what matters is passion and freedom.

— Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2026
The world’s increasingly pro-Chinese attitude is not meaningless.

— Adam Y. Liu, Foreign Affairs, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of meaningless

Adjective

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
Demands for the exclusive event pins exceeded common sense and ventured into the absurd with haphazard lines that snaked through the convention center.

— Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of haphazard

Adjective

Once in orbit at L2, only minor burns once every 28 days are needed for station keeping — a negligible amount of fuel.

— Keith Cooper, Space.com, 15 Sep. 2026
Everyone wants better decisions, particularly when their own team is on the wrong end of an injustice, minor or major.

— Oliver Kay, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of minor

Adjective

That’s right — after three straight Friday-night deadlines, Gameweek Four gets under way at 3pm on Saturday, handing you that little bit of extra time to agonise over the right moves for the next round of action.

— Ben Dinnery, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Jongmin Lee, a quantum sensing scientist at SNL, has been working to build an extremely small version of this device, one that consumes very little power and can be used in the field.

— Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of little

Adjective

The ‘enhanced’ access to players and managers in the Premier League has been, for the most part, pointless.

— Nick Miller, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
In many cases, the presence of AI in the classroom is a solution in search of a problem — just like the ludicrous, pointless innovations by the Laputan scientists.

— Dónal Gill, The Dial, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of pointless

Adjective

Another clever stunt that Althoff pulled off on the The Really Good Podcast was that she was involved in a slight-of-hand brand stunt with L’Oreal’s CeraVe.

— Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 16 Sep. 2026
Chubb was a slight disappointment in his Bills debut from a pass-rushing perspective.

— Joe Buscaglia, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of slight

Browse Nearby Words

purposefulness

purposeless

purposely

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“Purposeless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purposeless. Accessed 20 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of purposeless

adjective

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