sleeveless
Americanadjective
-
without sleeves.
-
amounting to nothing; unprofitable; futile.
a sleeveless errand.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of sleeveless
before 950; Middle English; Old English slīeflēas. See sleeve, -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.
One wore a sleeveless crochet dress with geometric patterns, another a loud multicolored jacket.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 6, 2026
The sleeveless shirts, the cries of 'vamos!', the ill-advised buzzcut in New York all add to the theatre.
From BBC • Feb. 1, 2026
The Australian swimwear brand traces its origins to 1928, when Scottish immigrant Alexander MacRae produced a sleeveless Racerback swimsuit.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 22, 2026
It was complemented by a sleeveless turquoise dress over pleated white trousers.
From Barron's • Jan. 21, 2026
She wore a loose skirt of some silver material and a sleeveless top of green, and her spurred feet were bare, like the man’s.
From "The Amber Spyglass" by Philip Pullman
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.
