spiritless

[spir-it-lis]

adjective

1. without spirit.

2. without ardor, vigor, zeal, animation, etc..

   a spiritless reply to criticism.

ˈspiritless

/ ˈspɪrɪtlɪs /

adjective

1. lacking courage or liveliness; melancholic

Other Word Forms

• spiritlessness noun
• spiritlessly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of ˈspiritless¹

First recorded in 1560–70; spirit + -less

Example Sentences

You don’t have to look further than the pedestrian title to guess that Matt Ruskin’s “Boston Strangler” is a spiritless affair.

Read more on New York Times

The church-going Christian people I know wouldn't waste their precious Earthly moments on this spiritless mess.

Read more on Salon

“Normally, a Wonder set is a buoyant experience that is littered with highlights. But his festival set was mostly flat and spiritless, as if performing there was an obligation rather than a pleasure,” wrote Hunt.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Another theme is a reenchantment of our spiritless world to arrest the political and ecological crises that empire and patriarchy have reportedly consigned to us.

Read more on New York Times

Unlike their spiritless performance Sunday against New Orleans, which was a new rock bottom in a season with an ever-sinking floor, the Lakers played with plenty of heart against the Mavericks.

Read more on Los Angeles Times