toothless
Americanadjective
-
lacking teeth.
-
without a serrated edge, as a saw.
-
lacking in force or sharpness; dull; ineffectual.
a toothless argument.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of toothless
Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at tooth, -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.
Standing about 25 inches tall, it likely had a toothless beak, large eye sockets, and hollow bones.
From Science Daily • Apr. 23, 2026
"I didn't even move for the English when they colonised us," she told AFP through a toothless smile, a year after the army broke the siege, and 70 after the British occupation of Khartoum ended.
From Barron's • Apr. 22, 2026
They are lulled into a smug confidence that his threats will always be toothless bluster.
From Salon • Apr. 20, 2026
By now most Americans and Canadians know of Jack Hughes, the impossibly toothy and toothless forward on the 2026 U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026
As the night wore on, the place emptied except for me and an old, toothless Tlingit man at a back table.
From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer
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.
