meaningless — having no meaning, significance, or purpose; pointless
Part of speech: ADJECTIVE
Definition: having no meaning, significance, or purpose; pointless
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈmiːnɪŋləs/
Example Sentences
- Without context, these numbers are completely meaningless.
- His apology felt meaningless after he made the same mistake for the fifth time.
- The professor's lecture was so meaningless that students started counting ceiling tiles.
meaningless
ADJECTIVE[/ˈmiːnɪŋləs/]
having no meaning, significance, or purpose; pointless
He stared at the meaningless contract clauses written in a language he couldn't read.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
The word emerged in the 14th century through the combination of 'meaning' (from Middle English 'meninge', derived from Old English 'mænan', meaning 'to signify') and the Germanic suffix '-less' (denoting absence or lack). It developed to express the concept of something devoid of significance or purpose.
Breakdown
meaning (from Old English 'mænan', to signify or intend) + -less (Germanic suffix meaning 'without' or 'lacking')
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“Without context, these numbers are completely meaningless.”
“His apology felt meaningless after he made the same mistake for the fifth time.”
“The professor's lecture was so meaningless that students started counting ceiling tiles.”
“He realized his job had become meaningless when he spent three hours rearranging his stapler collection.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
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