wingless

American  

[wing-lis] / ˈwɪŋ lɪs /

adjective

1. having no wings.

2. having only rudimentary wings, as an apteryx.

---

wingless British  

/ ˈwɪŋlɪs /

adjective

1. having no wings or vestigial wings

2. designating primitive insects of the subclass Apterygota, characterized by small size, lack of wings, and larvae resembling the adults: includes the springtails and bristletails

---

Other Word Forms

• winglessness noun

Etymology

Origin of wingless

First recorded in 1585–95; wing + -less

Example Sentences

In a new study, scientists at Northwestern University investigated how these small, wingless insects, which move across snowy surfaces to find mates and lay eggs, stay alive in freezing conditions.

From Science Daily • Mar. 26, 2026

Behind the apostles, in a beehive of sociable activity, wingless angels busy themselves with rituals—tending to oil lamps, burning cypress branches, playing musical instruments.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 9, 2026

The wingless, pill-shaped insects feed on mammalian blood and, as indicated by their name, are notorious for infesting human dwellings.

From Salon • Mar. 13, 2024

The wingless insects hide in mattresses and bedding and feed on blood, typically biting at night.

From Reuters • Nov. 8, 2023

To the wingless a more arresting phenomenon is their dissimilarity in every particular except shape and size.

From " The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald