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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There are no darker days in a season than the ones that see relegation confirmed and for Southampton, listless for so much of this Premier League campaign, the moment arrived on Sunday.—
Philip Buckingham,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2025
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When intentionally chosen, the right scent can even shift your mood—lifting you out of a listless haze or helping ease a frantic pace.—
Lauren Thomann,
Better Homes & Gardens,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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But people here are tired of seeing Farmington in the headlines as a town that's losing population.—
Kirk Siegler,
NPR,
24 Apr. 2025
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And there’s kids who are tired, or crying or can’t handle it.—
Andy Mitten,
New York Times,
22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Now then, some angry pundits will excoriate you for being so lackadaisical.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes,
18 Mar. 2025
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With over 70 beaches—the most of any Greek island—Milos is a destination for those seeking lackadaisical days spent lounging in and out of cerulean waters.—
Elise Taylor,
Vogue,
16 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Dating apps amplify this dynamic, offering an endless scroll of possibilities that, instead of empowering users, usually leave them overwhelmed, disillusioned and emotionally exhausted.—
Ximena Araya-Fischel,
Forbes.com,
29 Apr. 2025
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By the end, Stamos, clearly exhausted with his hair drenched from sweat, had impressed the room.—
Alli Rosenbloom,
CNN Money,
28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Weak Treasury Demand Moved Rates More recently, in the wake of the administration’s chaotic trade policy rollout, Treasury security auctions did not go as expected, with weak demand pushing rates up higher than everyone expected.—
Norbert Michel,
Forbes.com,
28 Apr. 2025
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Iran was at its weakest point since the 1980s, maybe since the Iranian revolution in 1979.—
Quinn Scanlan,
ABC News,
27 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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So is falling asleep on one’s back, with legs limp and stomach exposed.—
Sarah Matusek,
Christian Science Monitor,
4 Apr. 2025
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Giving your peace too much water can also harm your plant by causing the leaves to turn limp and yellow.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
25 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The show had a languid pace, with long tributes to individual nominees from presenters and a choreographed musical homage to James Bond and the Broccoli family, which took on a weird undertone in the wake of the sale of creative control of the property to Amazon-MGM.—
Steven Zeitchik,
The Hollywood Reporter,
2 Mar. 2025
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On Blue Veil, the British composer coaxes earthy tremors from the cello, turning the sound of bow scrapes and resonant harmony into a languid psychic expanse.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Warfare tells the harrowing story of their rescue in real time—even though much of this movie is constructed from long, languorous takes, the film moves forward in tense fits and starts.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
11 Apr. 2025
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But in many performances, much of its detail can seem puzzling or pointless—vigorous or languorous notes spinning between the overwhelming climaxes.—
David Denby,
The Atlantic,
1 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spiritless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spiritless. Accessed 7 May. 2025.
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