godless

American  

[god-lis] / ˈgɒd lɪs /

adjective

1. having or acknowledging no god or deity; atheistic.

2. wicked; evil; sinful.

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godless British  

/ ˈɡɒdlɪs /

adjective

1. wicked or unprincipled

2. lacking a god

3. refusing to acknowledge God

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Other Word Forms

• godlessly adverb
• godlessness noun

Etymology

Origin of godless

First recorded in 1520–30; god + -less

Example Sentences

He tracks how deeply the transformative ideas of “biological evolution, a godless universe, and planetary extinction” shaped the poet’s imagination.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 20, 2026

All would be lost, however, without Mays’ quicksilver brilliance — the way he can shift from savage irony to vindictive rage to godless despair in the space of a line.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 18, 2026

Speaking ahead of Easter, Dr Williams was asked on Politics Wales as to how he reflected on an increasingly godless society.

From BBC • Apr. 3, 2022

Despite attempts to tie Lennon and "Imagine" to blood-lusting atheists like Stalin and Pol Pot, the overwhelming majority of godless people seek to live ethical lives.

From Salon • Sep. 25, 2021

And godless though I am, the fact of being human, the fact of possessing the gift of study, and thus being remarkable among all the matter floating through the cosmos, still awes me.

From "Between the World and Me" by Ta-Nehisi Coates