as in listless
lacking bodily energy or motivation
he was spiritless and depressed for weeks after being fired
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Recent Examples of spiritless
The Senators looked spiritless days ago in their building Saturday night ahead of Game 4.
—
Julian McKenzie, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
Amid the spiritless spirits and a bevy of alcohol-free wines, ciders, and beers, luxury sparkling teas are comfortably the most exciting emerging trend in the low and no-alcohol sphere.
—Camille Berry, Vogue, 29 Apr. 2025
Dance sections lacked charm; lyric passages were spiritless; the klezmer episodes in the third movement were strictly goyish.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024
Yet the club dropped the contest in spiritless fashion, 6-2.
—Julian McWilliams, BostonGlobe.com, 12 Aug. 2023
Lil Wayne is not tolerating spiritless crowds at his shows.
—Daniela Avila, Peoplemag, 15 May 2023
The studio setup looks familiar, but the operation itself is spiritless, bearing more resemblance to CNBC’s coverage of the stock market than to the typical sports show, whose belligerent repartee is familiar to anyone who has ever watched a game with friends.
—New York Times, 27 Apr. 2022
That hotel, which opened about a year ago, serves a drink called a Bee’s Knees with a Twist, which costs $19 and includes spiritless gin, lime and honey (cocktails with alcohol range from $21 to $28).
—Alyson Krueger, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2023
Hampered by a spare and spiritless screenplay, Smith gives a performance marked by facial expressions, physical movement and a Haitian accent that struggles to shake its studied quality.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Nov. 2022
Julian McKenzie, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
Amid the spiritless spirits and a bevy of alcohol-free wines, ciders, and beers, luxury sparkling teas are comfortably the most exciting emerging trend in the low and no-alcohol sphere.
—Camille Berry, Vogue, 29 Apr. 2025
Dance sections lacked charm; lyric passages were spiritless; the klezmer episodes in the third movement were strictly goyish.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024
Yet the club dropped the contest in spiritless fashion, 6-2.
—Julian McWilliams, BostonGlobe.com, 12 Aug. 2023
Lil Wayne is not tolerating spiritless crowds at his shows.
—Daniela Avila, Peoplemag, 15 May 2023
The studio setup looks familiar, but the operation itself is spiritless, bearing more resemblance to CNBC’s coverage of the stock market than to the typical sports show, whose belligerent repartee is familiar to anyone who has ever watched a game with friends.
—New York Times, 27 Apr. 2022
That hotel, which opened about a year ago, serves a drink called a Bee’s Knees with a Twist, which costs $19 and includes spiritless gin, lime and honey (cocktails with alcohol range from $21 to $28).
—Alyson Krueger, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2023
Hampered by a spare and spiritless screenplay, Smith gives a performance marked by facial expressions, physical movement and a Haitian accent that struggles to shake its studied quality.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Nov. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spiritless
Adjective
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But more than any event other than the multiple indictments, DeSantis’s White House bid lit a fire under Trump and his initially listless campaign.—
W. James Antle III,
The Washington Examiner,
2 July 2025
-
Mackey, raven-haired and listless in a bikini top and cigarette in hand, is camera-genic enough to make for an appealing heroine.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
14 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Already, 47% of clinicians report that being tired has impacted their abilities to treat patients.—
Victoria Feng,
Forbes.com,
15 July 2025
-
His legs are going to be a little tired, as to be expected.—
Roderick Boone
Updated July 11,
Charlotte Observer,
12 July 2025
Adjective
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With so much to do, and with a lackadaisical sense of urgency, each area is filled with gleeful distractions.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
1 July 2025
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Now then, some angry pundits will excoriate you for being so lackadaisical.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes,
18 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
The Blue Jays had a lead and needed efficient innings to spare an exhausted bullpen.—
Mitch Bannon,
New York Times,
8 July 2025
-
This feature, essentially a failsafe, Young explained, allows CAR cells to take a break, which can be useful in terms of keeping cytokine production from getting out of control and from becoming exhausted from working too long without time to rejuvenate.—
Paul Sisson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 July 2025
Adjective
-
Precious metals and mining stocks were weak across both markets.—
Brendan Ahern,
Forbes.com,
9 July 2025
-
In October 2005, a Finnish court acquitted Gustafsson, ruling the evidence against him was too weak and inconsistent.—
Christina Coulter,
People.com,
8 July 2025
Adjective
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Ionic technology, on the other hand, speeds up dry time and cuts frizz (especially helpful in humid weather) but can leave fine hair looking too sleek or limp if overused.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
5 July 2025
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In the now-viral video, Otis lies limp and unimpressed while his dad, Jake, strokes his leg with a concerned arm around him.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 June 2025
Adjective
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The juxtaposition of these two things: classic, early Hollywood decadence, which is languid and which has its own flavor of Americana, next to frank, twenty first century poetry written to music.—
Rachel Elspeth Gross,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2025
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But most of the trip was dominated by a drift that was languid, meditative, sharpening the pixels of the present tense in a way that is increasingly rare in our pixelated age.—
David Amsden,
Travel + Leisure,
13 June 2025
Adjective
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His Southern drawl sounds like a languorous cross between early Brando and Mr. Blackwell.—
Mark Olsen,
Los Angeles Times,
27 June 2025
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In the summer, people here are too busy enjoying themselves—drinking on patios, reading languorous books, stretching weekends in Crystal Beach or Sherkston out over three, four, five days—to do much of any importance.—
Aidan Ryan
June 4,
Literary Hub,
4 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spiritless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spiritless. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.
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