motionless
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of motionless
Explanation
If you're motionless, you're completely still, not moving a muscle. Your barber might instruct you to remain motionless while he trims the hair around your ears. Anything that's motionless doesn't move — a statue is motionless, and your bike is motionless lying in the driveway until you climb on it and start pedaling. Photographs are motionless, while video records movement. Your new puppy might be a constantly wiggling, jumping ball of motion until she becomes exhausted and falls sound asleep, motionless. Motion, or movement, comes from a Latin root, motionem, "a movement" or "an emotion."
Vocabulary lists containing motionless
Talk Like Shakespeare Day, List 4
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"The Woman in the Snow" and "Rosa Parks"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
English Language Development Texts, Unit 2
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
The ending is slapdash and rushed, somehow missing an emotional target sitting motionless one foot away.
From Salon ● Jun. 27, 2026
Its high-tech ceramics are used to hold silicon wafers motionless while they are etched with circuitry.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026
Another World Cup superfan whose claim to fame is being motionless for the entire match.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 15, 2026
Appearing via video link, dressed in prison greens, Roberts-Smith sat motionless as bail was granted.
From BBC ● Apr. 16, 2026
With all the patience of a small girl who has something important to wait for, Sophie sat motionless on the window-sill.
From "The BFG" by Roald Dahl
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.
