groundless
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of groundless
before 900; Middle English: bottomless, unfathomable; Old English grundlēas. See ground 1, -less
Explanation
Something that's groundless isn't valid or justified, like your groundless fear that you failed your math quiz, even though you studied and knew all the material. Grounds are "factors forming the justification for a belief," and when you don't have any such grounds, your belief is groundless. In other words, anything groundless has no reason or cause to back it up. A groundless claim is one that has no proof, and a groundless suspicion is empty: "We questioned that nice lady next door and made her cry, thanks to your groundless accusation that she stole our cat."
Vocabulary lists containing groundless
"Oedipus the King" by Sophocles
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Awkward
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Because They Marched
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Coupang called it a "groundless" claim by a disgruntled former executive.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
Beijing has denounced the multilateral exercises as groundless provocation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 4, 2026
The long-term rise in beef prices has provoked market participants into a spate of finger-pointing, not all of which is groundless.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 19, 2025
Beijing at the time called the accusations "groundless".
From Barron's ● Oct. 19, 2025
My fears were groundless, there was nothing to it.
From "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
