See also: less

EnglishEdit

Alternative formsEdit

EtymologyEdit

From Middle English -les, -leas, from Old English -lēas (-less), from lēas (devoid of, loose from, false), from Proto-Germanic *lausaz (loose). (Not related to less, which derives from *laisiz, *laisizô.) Cognate with Scots -less, West Frisian -leas, Saterland Frisian -loos, Dutch -loos (-less), Low German -los, German -los, Danish -løs, Swedish -lös, Icelandic -laus. More at lease (false).

PronunciationEdit

  • IPA(key): /ləs/, /lɪs/
  • (file)

SuffixEdit

-less

  1. Lacking (something); without (something). Added usually to a noun to form an adjective signifying a lack of that noun.
    • 2013 September-October, Henry Petroski, “The Evolution of Eyeglasses”, in American Scientist:
      The ability of a segment of a glass sphere to magnify whatever is placed before it was known around the year 1000, when the spherical segment was called a reading stone, essentially what today we might term a frameless magnifying glass or plain glass paperweight.

Usage notesEdit

  • Adjectives formed using -less often form nouns by the addition of -ness (e.g. helplessness), but generally do not form nouns by the addition of other noun-forming endings.
  • A notable exception to the usual usage of this suffix is that doubtless is usually an adverb, rather than an adjective.

SynonymsEdit

AntonymsEdit

Derived termsEdit

TranslationsEdit

AnagramsEdit

ScotsEdit

EtymologyEdit

From Middle English -les, from Old English -lēas (-less).

SuffixEdit

-less

  1. lacking; without. Added usually to a noun to form an adjective signifying a lack of that noun.