mindless

adjective

mind·​less ˈmīn(d)-ləs 

1

a

: marked by a lack of mind or consciousness

a mindless sleep

b(1)

: marked by or displaying no use of the powers of the intellect

mindless violence

(2)

: requiring little attention or thought

especially : not intellectually challenging or stimulating

mindless work

a mindless movie

2

: not mindful : heedless

mindless of the consequences

mindlessly adverb

mindlessness noun

Synonyms

• airheaded
• birdbrained
• bonehead
• boneheaded
• brain-dead
• brainless
• bubbleheaded
• chuckleheaded
• dense
• dim
• dim-witted
• doltish
• dopey
• dopy
• dorky [slang]
• dull
• dumb
• dunderheaded
• empty-headed
• fatuous
• gormless [chiefly British]
• half-witted
• knuckleheaded
• lamebrain
• lamebrained
• lunkheaded
• oafish
• obtuse
• opaque
• pinheaded
• senseless
• simple
• slow
• slow-witted
• soft
• softheaded
• stupid
• thick
• thick-witted
• thickheaded
• unintelligent
• unsmart
• vacuous
• weak-minded
• witless

Examples of mindless in a Sentence

The article was a mindless piece of nonsense.

The movie has been criticized for its mindless violence.

a mindless waste of time

He seemed to be completely mindless of the danger he was facing.

She was mindless of her appearance.

Recent Examples on the Web

Starring John Krasinski and Natalie Portman as estranged siblings reuniting to search for the mythological spring, the film is the sort of mindless, glossy entertainment tailor-made for streaming, even if its large-scale action sequences and exciting locations would look great on the big screen. —Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 22 May 2025

Murderbot May 16 on Apple TV+ The question on everyone’s mind: What if the technology that takes on ou most mindless and inane tasks revolts against us? —Lucy Ford, Time, 19 May 2025

The classical notion of a totally mindless vegetative state offered at least meager solace: a person devoid of consciousness would not experience pain or suffering. —Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 16 May 2025

Instead of mindless scrolling, engage in slow, fulfilling activities like reading, knitting or sketching. —Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

mindless

adjective

mind·​less ˈmīn-(d)ləs 

1

a

: lacking the ability to think, feel, or respond

a mindless killer

b

: showing no use of the intelligence

mindless violence

2

: not mindful

mindlessly adverb

mindlessness noun