Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective listless differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of listless are lackadaisical, languid, languorous, and spiritless. While all these words mean "lacking energy or enthusiasm," listless suggests a lack of interest caused by physical weakness or dissatisfied boredom.

listless hospital patients
listless children flipping through picture books on a rainy day

When can lackadaisical be used instead of listless?

While the synonyms lackadaisical and listless are close in meaning, lackadaisical implies a carefree indifference marked by half-hearted efforts.

lackadaisical college seniors pretending to study

When might languid be a better fit than listless?

The words languid and listless are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, languid refers to an unwillingness or inability to exert oneself due to fatigue or physical weakness.

was depressed and languid for weeks after surgery

When is it sensible to use languorous instead of listless?

The words languorous and listless can be used in similar contexts, but languorous suggests a dreamy boredom and delicacy that avoids unnecessary activity.

languorous cats lying in the sun

When would spiritless be a good substitute for listless?

Although the words spiritless and listless have much in common, spiritless refers to a lack of animation or vigor that gives one's actions and words life.

a spiritless recital of the poem

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of listless Key moment After a listless opening two periods, the Bruins charged into the Colorado zone on a 3-on-2 break and Pastrnak found Geekie in the slot for the tying goal. Ken Powtak, The Denver Post, 25 Jan. 2025 Kansas City was listless throughout the game, being shut out for nearly three quarters and potentially suffering from the curse of President Donald Trump picking them to win. James Powel, USA TODAY, 10 Feb. 2025 But rather than raise alarm, her listless demeanor ends up dredging up difficult conversations with her mother (Betty Buckley), her friends (Samantha Mathis and Robin Tunney) and later still with a creepy, stalking neighbor (Clifton Collins Jr.). Manuel Betancourt, Variety, 8 Feb. 2025 The Blazers won on Sunday to break a five-game losing streak, but this team looked listless during that stretch. Zach Harper, The Athletic, 20 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for listless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for listless
Adjective
  • Markets grow tired of tariff changes U.S. stocks tumbled Thursday on tariff flip-flop fatigue.
    Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 7 Mar. 2025
  • Sleep deprivation comes with real costs Chronic sleep deprivation does more than leave people tired.
    Joanna Fong-Isariyawongse, The Conversation, 7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Dance sections lacked charm; lyric passages were spiritless; the klezmer episodes in the third movement were strictly goyish.
    Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024
  • Yet the club dropped the contest in spiritless fashion, 6-2.
    Julian McWilliams, BostonGlobe.com, 12 Aug. 2023
Adjective
  • Over time, this pattern can leave you emotionally exhausted and constantly walking on eggshells to prevent upsetting them.
    Mark Travers, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025
  • Hackman was busy in the 1970s — his work also included the disaster film The Poseidon Adventure (1972) and a French Connection sequel — and the regimen left him exhausted.
    Duane Byrge, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • The dissuading a witness charge against the father stems from what the prosecution said allegedly happened after the boy stopped breathing and his mother carried his limp body upstairs.
    Rosalio Ahumada, Sacramento Bee, 28 Feb. 2025
  • Cheaper laughs run rampant, invoking and evacuating seriousness in one limp gesture, smothering any thought or feeling at risk of requiring fortitude.
    Lauren Michele Jackson, The New Yorker, 27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • Moore really sells the arc from her disappointment in Kaffee’s lackadaisical approach to the case at the film’s start to nearly fangirling over his prowess as a lawyer by the end. 7.
    Eddie Mouradian, Vulture, 24 Feb. 2025
  • Joe Rogan’s Chats With Tech Moguls Rogan, known for his sprawling interests and wide array of guests, has often been criticized for his lackadaisical interviewing style and tendency to rarely push back on questionable claims.
    Dimitar 'Mix' Mihov, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • At around 270 square miles, Menorca charms travelers with its sleepy villages (like Fornells and Binibeca), history (centuries-old lighthouses and archaeological sites), local wines, and under-the-radar beaches.
    Kathryn Romeyn, AFAR Media, 26 Feb. 2025
  • The story of this estate began when the original owners transported two period buildings from Melbourne to a sleepy farm town along the Murray River.
    Natalie Hoberman, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • This more logistical plot thread proves surprisingly languid for a such a nanoscopic feature, but Kang plays with its withdrawn qualities in fascinating ways.
    Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 19 Feb. 2025
  • Martin, ever elegant but rarely a wildly expressive actor, could perhaps do with showing a bit more emotional urgency here to sharpen the interplay with Tom, especially in this naturally languid seaside backdrop.
    Nicolas Rapold, Deadline, 16 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • Such languorous scenes led one of my friends, a seasoned war reporter, to remark that the film was short on action, and its pace is undeniably slower than the typical war documentary.
    Simon Shuster, TIME, 14 Feb. 2025
  • Steeped in the pleasantly lazy atmosphere of the title setting, the film is languorous, but not long.
    Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 25 Jan. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Listless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/listless. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on listless

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!