spiritless

[ spir-it-lis ]
See synonyms for: spiritlessspiritlesslyspiritlessness on Thesaurus.com

adjective
  1. without spirit.

  2. without ardor, vigor, zeal, animation, etc.: a spiritless reply to criticism.

Origin of spiritless

1
First recorded in 1560–70; spirit + -less

Other words from spiritless

  • spir·it·less·ly, adverb
  • spir·it·less·ness, noun

Words Nearby spiritless

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use spiritless in a sentence

  • He thinks it spiritless to accumulate slowly by the sweat of his brow which can be got quickly by a loss of a little blood.

  • These things sent us home sad and spiritless, notwithstanding the agreeable scenes we had been riding among.

  • Cash got up and went to the doorway, looking out over Bud's shoulder at the spiritless donkeys trailing in to water.

    Cabin Fever | B. M. Bower
  • I used to think them spiritless, they were so different to any children I had ever seen.

    Emily Bront | A. Mary F. (Agnes Mary Frances) Robinson
  • To the new-comer they looked pasty-faced, spiritless beings.

    Queensland Cousins | Eleanor Luisa Haverfield

British Dictionary definitions for spiritless

spiritless

/ (ˈspɪrɪtlɪs) /


adjective
  1. lacking courage or liveliness; melancholic

Derived forms of spiritless

  • spiritlessly, adverb
  • spiritlessness, noun

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