Lifeless Meaning
/ˈlaɪfləs/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
adjinanimate; having no life
adjdead; having lost life
Sentence Examples
The lifeless rocks nod their heads again and again.
His grey and lifeless eyes burned like two hot coals.
CEFR Practice Quiz
After the severe drought, the once green field looked completely ____.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The desert landscape appeared completely ____, with no signs of any plants or animals for many miles.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English lyfles, lifles, from Old English līflēas (“lifeless”), equivalent to life + -less. Cognate with West Frisian libbensleas (“lifeless”), Dutch levenloos (“lifeless”), German leblos (“lifeless”), Danish livløs (“lifeless”), Swedish livlös (“lifeless”), Icelandic líflaus (“lifeless”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"a farther paſſion feeds my thoughts,
With ceaſeleſſe and diſconſolate conceits,
Which dies my lookes so liueleſſe as they are,
And might, if my extreames had ful euents,
Make me the gaſtly counterfeit of death."
— c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act III, scene ii:
"In a largely lifeless second half their only shot on target was a tame overhead effort from Paul Pogba, and Mourinho's already stretched squad saw Luke Shaw and Lukaku limp off late on, while Ashley Young picked up a fifth booking of the season which rules him out of Wednesday's league game at home to Arsenal."
— 2018 December 1, Tom Rostance, “Southampton 2 - 2 Manchester United”, in BBC Sport:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
After the severe drought, the once green field looked completely ____.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The desert landscape appeared completely ____, with no signs of any plants or animals for many miles.