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Synonyms

nameless

American  
[neym-lis] / ˈneɪm lɪs /

adjective

  1. having no name.

  2. left unnamed.

    a certain person who shall be nameless.

  3. anonymous.

    a nameless source of information.

  4. incapable of being specified or described.

    a nameless charm.

  5. too shocking or vile to be specified.

    a nameless crime.

  6. having no legitimate paternal name, as a child born out of wedlock.

  7. unknown to fame; obscure.

    a nameless poet; nameless defenders of the country.


nameless British  
/ ˈneɪmlɪs /

adjective

  1. without a name; anonymous

  2. incapable of being named; indescribable

    a nameless horror seized him

  3. too unpleasant or disturbing to be mentioned

    nameless atrocities

  4. having no legal name; illegitimate

    a nameless child

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Usage

What does nameless mean? Nameless means having no name, as in Emily Dickensen’s poems are all nameless, so we refer to them by their first lines instead.Nameless also means anonymous, as in Journalists sometimes use nameless sources of information in order to get the details they need for their stories.You might use nameless to describe something incapable of being described, such as a nameless charm.Example: A nameless writer created one of the world’s most well-known proverbs.

Other Word Forms

  • namelessly adverb
  • namelessness noun
  • quasi-nameless adjective

Etymology

Origin of nameless

Middle English word dating back to 1275–1325; name, -less

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.

It is these nameless men and women who help us better understand this chapter of India's history.

From BBC

Her book tells a story that transcends generations and borders, sending a quiet but warm message to countless nameless readers around the world.

From BBC

Rilke described these memories as those having “turned to blood within us, to glance and gesture, nameless and no longer to be distinguished from ourselves.”

From The Wall Street Journal

When officers cover their faces and demand to be nameless and faceless, “They are terrorizing ... with something just as simple as a mask,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times

Sometimes, it’s easier just to keep anguish as a nameless, formless thing, as Victor does in the first half of the film’s tagline: “Something bad happened to Agnes.”

From Salon