as in listless
lacking bodily energy or motivation
he was spiritless and depressed for weeks after being fired
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Recent Examples of spiritless
The Chiefs turned that spiritless first half into a 28-7 blowout Monday night against the Commanders, opening the second half with touchdown drives of 80, 75 and 94 yards.
—
Kansas City Star, 28 Oct. 2025
From spiritless spirits to refusing to open up a bar tab, members of Generation Z are continuing to challenge alcohol traditions.
—Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 6 Sep. 2025
The Senators looked spiritless days ago in their building Saturday night ahead of Game 4.
—Julian McKenzie, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
Amid the spiritless spirits and a bevy of alcohol-free wines, ciders, and beers, luxury sparkling teas are comfortably the most exciting emerging trend in the low and no-alcohol sphere.
—Camille Berry, Vogue, 29 Apr. 2025
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
Lil Wayne is not tolerating spiritless crowds at his shows.
—Daniela Avila, Peoplemag, 15 May 2023
Kansas City Star, 28 Oct. 2025
From spiritless spirits to refusing to open up a bar tab, members of Generation Z are continuing to challenge alcohol traditions.
—Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 6 Sep. 2025
The Senators looked spiritless days ago in their building Saturday night ahead of Game 4.
—Julian McKenzie, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
Amid the spiritless spirits and a bevy of alcohol-free wines, ciders, and beers, luxury sparkling teas are comfortably the most exciting emerging trend in the low and no-alcohol sphere.
—Camille Berry, Vogue, 29 Apr. 2025
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
Lil Wayne is not tolerating spiritless crowds at his shows.
—Daniela Avila, Peoplemag, 15 May 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spiritless
Adjective
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Tuesday night was one of those situations as the Blackhawks were listless for the better part of three quarters.—
Paul Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Pageau smashed home his second goal late in the third to finish off a listless Flyers team.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
While a few icons have grown tired (like the Fontainebleau Miami Beach and Eden Roc Miami Beach, missing from this list), several have recently poured money into renovations, including the Mayfair House and Gardens; Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne, which just reopened; and the Delano Miami.—
Devorah Lev-Tov,
Robb Report,
5 Feb. 2026
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Bell remembered during the Stars on Ice tour in 2022 when the skaters rolled into a new city, tired, groggy and sore from the long bus ride, Liu, dressed in a baggy hoodie and billowing sweatpants, could go on the ice and throw perfect jumps without warning.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Some regard sociology as a gut major that caters to lackadaisical students.—
Wendy Nelson Espeland,
Mercury News,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The defense was lackadaisical at best, while the offense wasn’t much better.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
But on the day the deal closed last week, Esnard sounded less jubilant and more exhausted.—
Scott Horsley,
NPR,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Marc Maron, who helmed his engaging and transgressive interview show WTF for 13 years, is a Jersey Boy who sounds plaintive and exhausted.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Bangladesh’s woes have not improved much since Hasina’s ouster, with high inflation and a weak taka currency combining to erode real incomes for ordinary households.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Pinterest posted disappointing fourth-quarter results and gave weak guidance for first-quarter sales.—
Liz Napolitano,Darla Mercado, CFP®,
CNBC,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The pictures show two limp pieces of zucchini and what appear to be a charred, moldy pepper on a small baguette.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
13 Feb. 2026
-
If your aloe vera plant isn’t getting enough water, its leaves will look thinner than usual or become limp or curled.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Couple his extroverted on-pitch personality and his, in theory, imposing 6ft 4in (195cm) frame that can be equally languid and driving in style, Onana should have all the characteristics to play among the elite.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
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Through heightened control of imagery and mood, attention to composition and texture and sound, Manuel turns this simple, languid setting into something far more sinister without ever betraying the beauty of what’s onscreen.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
24 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Wicker, rattan, raffia, and marble make comfortable bedfellows, and all rooms have terraces with huge daybeds for languorous post-pilates reading sessions in the sun.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
5 Jan. 2026
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The album took soul and gospel cues from his first record and extended them into languorous jams.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
14 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spiritless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spiritless. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
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