Synonyms

shapeless

American

[sheyp-lis] / ˈʃeɪp lɪs /

adjective

having no definite or regular shape or form.

a shapeless mass of clay.
lacking beauty or elegance of form.

shapeless British

/ ˈʃeɪplɪs /

adjective

having no definite shape or form

a shapeless mass
a shapeless argument
lacking a symmetrical or aesthetically pleasing shape

a shapeless figure

"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

Other Word Forms

shapelessly adverb
shapelessness noun

Etymology

Origin of shapeless

1250–1300; shape + -less; replacing Middle English scaples

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.

Nature herself is more than shapeless irregularity; the woods have glades and groves, animal trails and vistas; like literature, they have rising and falling action.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

And some messy filmmaking too, even if that’s the point of this elegantly shapeless headspace travelogue.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 25, 2025

Julianne Hough, co-host of the official red carpet show alongside Hudgens, wore shapeless white trousers with shimmery detailing around the bust.

From BBC • Mar. 10, 2024

Meet MYC, the shapeless protein responsible for making the majority of human cancer cases worse.

From Science Daily • Jan. 4, 2024

He had a shapeless cap on his head, a hoe over his shoulder, and he was singing: Who asked you to be buried alive?

From "The Devil's Arithmetic" by Jane Yolen

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023