Motionless Meaning
/ˈməʊʃənlɛs/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
adjAt rest, stationary, immobile, not moving.
Sentence Examples
The man lay motionless.
A dog jumped onto the chair and lay motionless for five minutes.
A cat jumped onto the chair and lay motionless.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The statue stood ____, not moving even in the strong wind.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The deer stood perfectly ____ at the edge of the woods, hoping that the hikers wouldn't notice it as they passed by.
Word Origin & History
Etymology tree English motion Proto-Indo-European *lewh₁- Proto-Indo-European *lewHs-der. Proto-Germanic *leusaną Proto-Germanic *lausaz Proto-Germanic *-lausaz Proto-West Germanic *-laus Old English -lēas Middle English -les English -less English motionless From motion + -less.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Nothing was to be seen save flat meadows, cows for the most part feeding unconcernedly, and silvery pollard willows motionless in the warm sunlight."
— 1895–1897, H[erbert] G[eorge] Wells, “What I Saw of the Destruction of Weybridge and Shepperton”, in “The War of the Worlds”, in Pearson’s, London: C[yril] Arthur Pearson, published 1897, pages 41–42:
"Nothing could be more businesslike than the construction of the stout dams, and nothing more gently rural than the limpid lakes, with the grand old forest trees marshalled round their margins like a veteran army that had marched down to drink, only to be stricken motionless at the water’s edge."
— 1913, Robert Barr, “The Mad Miss Maturin”, in Lord Stranleigh Abroad, London; Melbourne, Vic.; Toronto, Ont.: Ward, Lock & Co., →OCLC, pages 147–148:
"We remain motionless in the platform while the ex-Edinburgh draws forward, the points are set, and it is propelled back for attachment. The Edinburgh locomotive uncoupled, a brake test is performed and we're away."
— 2023 February 8, Greg Morse, “Crossing the border... by Sleeper”, in RAIL, number 976, page 43:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The statue stood ____, not moving even in the strong wind.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The deer stood perfectly ____ at the edge of the woods, hoping that the hikers wouldn't notice it as they passed by.