: characterized by lack of interest, energy, or spirit
a listless melancholy attitude
listlessly
adverb
listlessness
noun
Examples of listless in a Sentence
He became listless, answered in monosyllables, gurgled, drank a great deal of whisky, and looked with hateful eyes at everyone.
—
Isaiah Berlin, New York Times Book Review, 12 Apr. 1987
She looked up and saw everyone starting his work. She took out a piece of paper, feeling listless and bored as she did.
—Louise Fitzhugh, Harriet the Spy, 1964
His blue eyes had lost their colour; they had a listless droop; and his mouth, losing the fulness of youth, was weak and pale.
—W. Somerset Maugham, Of Human Bondage, 1915
Her pretty face was wan and listless, her hair uncurled—some locks hanging lankly down, and some carelessly twisted round her head.
—Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights, 1847
The heat made everyone tired and listless.
The party was a listless affair.
Isaiah Berlin, New York Times Book Review, 12 Apr. 1987
She looked up and saw everyone starting his work. She took out a piece of paper, feeling listless and bored as she did.
—Louise Fitzhugh, Harriet the Spy, 1964
His blue eyes had lost their colour; they had a listless droop; and his mouth, losing the fulness of youth, was weak and pale.
—W. Somerset Maugham, Of Human Bondage, 1915
Her pretty face was wan and listless, her hair uncurled—some locks hanging lankly down, and some carelessly twisted round her head.
—Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights, 1847
The heat made everyone tired and listless.
The party was a listless affair.
Recent Examples on the Web
That created a quick and competitive environment that eliminated a lot of the listless play that has plagued All-Star weekend over the past decade.
—Jared Weiss, The Athletic, 15 Feb. 2025
Rebecca, the listless protagonist of Katarina Zhu’s feature debut Bunnylovr, wears loneliness like an oversized coat.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Jan. 2025
Key moment After a listless opening two periods, the Bruins charged into the Colorado zone on a 3-on-2 break and Pastrnak found Geekie in the slot for the tying goal.
—Ken Powtak, The Denver Post, 25 Jan. 2025
Kansas City was listless throughout the game, being shut out for nearly three quarters and potentially suffering from the curse of President Donald Trump picking them to win.
—James Powel, USA TODAY, 10 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for listless
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Jared Weiss, The Athletic, 15 Feb. 2025
Rebecca, the listless protagonist of Katarina Zhu’s feature debut Bunnylovr, wears loneliness like an oversized coat.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Jan. 2025
Key moment After a listless opening two periods, the Bruins charged into the Colorado zone on a 3-on-2 break and Pastrnak found Geekie in the slot for the tying goal.
—Ken Powtak, The Denver Post, 25 Jan. 2025
Kansas City was listless throughout the game, being shut out for nearly three quarters and potentially suffering from the curse of President Donald Trump picking them to win.
—James Powel, USA TODAY, 10 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for listless
Cite this Entry
“Listless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/listless. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
listless
adjective
list·less
ˈlist-ləs 
: too tired or too little interested to want to do things
listlessly
adverb
listlessness
noun
Etymology
Middle English listles "having a lack of desire to act or move," from earlier list "desire, liking"
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