adj
listless
LIHST-lihs
adj
1
Lacking energy or enthusiasm; tired and uninterested in doing anything.
"The heat left everyone feeling listless by mid-afternoon."
"He's been listless and withdrawn since losing his job."
How to Use Listless
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishFeeling drained, flat, and uninterested in anything.
Common mistake
Nothing to do with the everyday sense of "list" (a series of items) — this listless comes from an old word for desire.
Word Forms
more listless comparative, most listless superlative
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “listless”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
The heat left everyone feeling _____ by mid-afternoon.
Etymology
From Middle English lystles — literally "without desire" (list here is an old word for "desire," not the modern sense of a list of items) plus the suffix -less.