listlessness

1
as in boredom
physical or mental inertness following a couple of big mistakes early in the game, the team sank into an uncharacteristic listlessness and was never able to recover the lead

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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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 listlessness In the second half, veteran center Garrett Bradbury sensed the Patriots offense stalling from its own listlessness. Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 8 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for listlessness
Noun
  • The children of this era would go on to lead the next affective era in the form of the 1960s—which in many ways were a fight against this boredom, a call to reclaim the excitement of communalism, of revolution, of queerness and chaos.
    P.E. Moskowitz September 11, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Your kid might not otherwise disclose these issues—but framing them around boredom (which is easier to talk about than, say, loneliness) can let you in on what's really going on in their day.
    Angela Haupt, Time, 10 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The addition of shutdown closer Jhoan Duran has turned their bullpen from a weakness into a roster strength.
    Peter Chawaga, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025
  • The milestone marks a symbolic win for the blue-chip index, highlighting the market’s resilience despite tariff concerns and signs of weakness in the economy.
    Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 12 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • There can also be severe neurological changes, such as confusion or lethargy.
    Julie Scott, Verywell Health, 2 Sep. 2025
  • In cats and dogs, symptoms can include fever, lethargy and loss of appetite, in addition to lymph node swelling under the jaw.
    Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • The pain goes deeper than exhaustion.
    Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
  • Men tumble into each other, frantically fighting to get back up, while others faint from exhaustion.
    Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The director does get solid performances out of his French and Italian cast, with the engaging Ronchi (Marco Bellocchio’s Sweet Dreams) playing a softspoken woman who seems to be in some kind of permanent stupor until her confessions bring her back to life.
    Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2025
  • The same corporate event planners who used to book futurists with hologram slide decks are now on the hunt for celebrity performers who can yank an audience out of its AI stupor for ten electrifying minutes.
    Seth Yudof, Rolling Stone, 28 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • It’s always conducted in the blind, with protocols employed to avoid any undue influence, from pay-to-play to palate fatigue.
    Brad Japhe, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
  • Lisa Healy, 29, from Toronto, Canada, battled decades of fatigue, weakness and low energy, which affected her mood and was often described as sadness.
    Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Listlessness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/listlessness. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.

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