lifeless
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
having died or no longer showing signs of life.
having lost biological life; deceased or clinically dead.
Simple“The rescuers found a lifeless body near the edge of the river.”
In context“The paramedics worked frantically for twenty minutes, but the patient remained lifeless despite their repeated attempts at resuscitation.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
dull and boring, without any feeling or energy.
lacking vitality, spirit, or animation; often used to describe performances or artistic works.
Simple“The party was lifeless until the music finally started playing.”
In context“Critics dismissed the sequel as a lifeless imitation of the original, citing the lead actor's wooden performance and a predictable script.”
- 03 C1 Advanced
describing a place where no plants or animals can live.
barren or uninhabited; incapable of sustaining biological organisms.
Simple“The moon is a lifeless world with no air or water.”
In context“Probes sent to the distant planet confirmed it was a lifeless wasteland, scorched by radiation and devoid of any liquid water.”
- 04 C1 Advanced
describing an object that has never been alive, like a rock.
naturally lacking the qualities of living organisms; inanimate.
Simple“The artist spent hours painting the lifeless objects on the table.”
In context“The philosopher argued that we should respect the environment, even the lifeless components like mountains and rivers.”
“Their cloudy-looking eyes can appear almost lifeless, and parasites are often found attached directly to the eyeballs.”
From Middle English lyfles, lifles, from Old English līflēas (“lifeless”), equivalent to life + -less. Cognate with West Frisian libbensleas (“lifeless”), Dutch levenloos (“lifeless”), German leblos (“lifeless”), Danish livløs (“lifeless”), Swedish livlös (“lifeless”), Icelandic líflaus (“lifeless”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.