Standard Lemma guide

listless

adj · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈlɪstlɪs/
  • /ˈlɪstləs/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: L IH1 S T L AH0 S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Lacking energy, enthusiasm, or liveliness.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: languid, spiritless, adiaphroistic, apathetic, apathistical, blasé, blithe, deaf, cool, shiftless, dispassionate, dull, enervated, gallionic, halfhearted, heartless, impassive, ineffervescible, insouciant, indifferent, insensible, jaded, languorous, Laodicean, lethargic, listless, lackadaisical, lotophagous, lukewarm, meh, mopey, nonchalant, nonplussed, otiose, phlegmatic, pococurante, supine, tepid, torpid, torpedinous, unaroused, uncaring, unconcerned, unenthusiastic, unimpressible, uninterested, unlively, unmoved, untouched, unzealous, world-weary

Antonyms: none provided

2

adjective satellite

Meaning 2

lacking zest or vivacity

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he was listless and bored

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adjective satellite

Meaning 3

marked by low spirits; showing no enthusiasm

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a dispirited and divided Party
  • reacted to the crisis with listless resignation

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: dispirited

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Middle English lystles, equivalent to list (“desire”) + -less. Compare German lustlos and Dutch lusteloos (“lethargic, listless”). Doublet of lustless.

Across languages

Translations

59 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: равнодушен (ravnodušen) — lacking enthusiasm
  • Bulgarian: апатичен (apatičen) — lacking enthusiasm
  • Catalan: apàtic — lacking enthusiasm
  • Chinese Mandarin: 蔫 — lacking enthusiasm
  • Chinese Mandarin: 無精打采 /无精打采 (wú jīng dǎ cǎi) — lacking enthusiasm
  • Dutch: lusteloos — lacking enthusiasm
  • Esperanto: senenergia — lacking enthusiasm
  • Finnish: välinpitämätön — lacking enthusiasm
  • Finnish: innoton — lacking enthusiasm
  • Finnish: voimaton — lacking enthusiasm
  • French: apathique — lacking enthusiasm
  • French: indolent — lacking enthusiasm
  • German: lasch — lacking enthusiasm
  • German: lustlos — lacking enthusiasm
  • German: antriebslos — lacking enthusiasm
  • Greek: νωθρός (nothrós) — lacking enthusiasm
  • Greek: άτονος (átonos) — lacking enthusiasm
  • Ancient Greek: νωθρός (nōthrós) — lacking enthusiasm
  • Hungarian: fásult — lacking enthusiasm
  • Irish: díbheo — lacking enthusiasm
  • Irish: neamh-anamúil — lacking enthusiasm
  • Irish: fuairnéalach — lacking enthusiasm
  • Irish: fuaránta — lacking enthusiasm
  • Irish: fuarbhruite — lacking enthusiasm
  • Irish: fuarspreosach — lacking enthusiasm
  • Irish: lagspreosach — lacking enthusiasm
  • Irish: marbhánta — lacking enthusiasm
  • Italian: apatico — lacking enthusiasm
  • Italian: spento — lacking enthusiasm
  • Japanese: 物憂げ (monouge) — lacking enthusiasm
  • Latin: languidus — lacking enthusiasm
  • Māori: toupiore — lacking enthusiasm
  • Māori: anuhea — lacking enthusiasm
  • Māori: iwingohe — lacking enthusiasm
  • Māori: waikorohuhō — lacking enthusiasm
  • Māori: ārangirangi — lacking enthusiasm
  • Māori: tauwherū — lacking enthusiasm
  • Māori: hangenge — lacking enthusiasm
  • Occitan: apatic — lacking enthusiasm
  • Polish: apatyczny — lacking enthusiasm
  • Polish: obojętny — lacking enthusiasm
  • Polish: śnięty — lacking enthusiasm
  • Polish: tępy — lacking enthusiasm
  • Portuguese: lânguido — lacking enthusiasm
  • Portuguese: apático — lacking enthusiasm
  • Romanian: apatic — lacking enthusiasm
  • Romanian: atonic — lacking enthusiasm
  • Russian: вя́лый (vjályj) — lacking enthusiasm
  • Russian: апати́чный (apatíčnyj) — lacking enthusiasm
  • Russian: безразли́чный (bezrazlíčnyj) — lacking enthusiasm
  • Spanish: apático — lacking enthusiasm
  • Spanish: indiferente — lacking enthusiasm
  • Swedish: håglös — lacking enthusiasm
  • Swedish: likgiltig — lacking enthusiasm
  • Swedish: apatisk — lacking enthusiasm
  • Swedish: loj — lacking enthusiasm
  • Tocharian B: kuro — lacking enthusiasm
  • Turkish: bezgin — lacking enthusiasm
  • Ottoman Turkish: كوشك (gevşek) — lacking enthusiasm