songless

American  

[sawng-lis, song-] / ˈsɔŋ lɪs, ˈsɒŋ- /

adjective

1. devoid of song; lacking the power of a song, as a bird.

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Other Word Forms

• songlessly adverb
• songlessness noun

Etymology

Origin of songless

First recorded in 1795–1805; song + -less

Example Sentences

In an article in The Times, John S. Wilson wrote, “The tight Bacharachian rhythmic patterns keep bouncing around in your head as you walk into the night, songless but pulsing with a busy little beat.”

From New York Times • Feb. 13, 2023

And if “all art constantly aspires toward the condition of music,” as Walter Pater wrote, what can poor songless plays hope to achieve?

From New York Times • Dec. 5, 2022

"While there are some spectacular fight sequences with a large - but totally bloodless - death toll, there is a distinct lack of humour in this version, making it both songless and smileless," she said.

From BBC • Sep. 4, 2020

I went to the ever-trusty, ever-free Internet Archive, meanwhile, to find Garland’s first wholly songless dramatic performance.

From The Guardian • Oct. 5, 2019

There is still much popular belief that our trees are shadeless, our rivers are waterless, our flowers are scentless, our birds are songless.

From An Australian Bird Book A Pocket Book for Field Use by Leach, John Albert