nameless
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
not having a name, or having a name that is not known.
lacking a specific name or having an identity that remains unidentified or obscured.
Simple“The hikers found a nameless stream deep in the woods.”
In context“The charity provides a dignified burial for the nameless victims of the disaster whose families could not be located.”
SynonymsAntonyms - 02 C1 Advanced
a feeling or thing that is so unusual or scary that you cannot describe it with words.
inexpressible or unable to be described, often used to convey a sense of dread or profound mystery.
Simple“She felt a nameless fear as she walked through the empty house.”
In context“The protagonist was overcome by a nameless dread, a sensation that defied logical explanation or linguistic categorization.”
SynonymsAntonymsdefinable - 03 C1 Advanced
not well-known or not having a famous reputation.
obscure or lacking a public reputation; not having achieved fame or distinction.
Simple“He was just a nameless clerk working in a giant office building.”
In context“The poet died a nameless wanderer, only achieving international acclaim decades after his passing.”
- 04 C2 Proficiency
an old-fashioned way to describe a child whose parents were not married.
denoting a person born out of wedlock; illegitimate.
Simple“In the old novel, the hero was a nameless child left at the church.”
In context“The legal dispute centered on the inheritance rights of a nameless heir whose parentage was kept secret for decades.”
SynonymsillegitimatebasebornAntonyms
“M is also, in the words of the nameless and genderless narrator of Life of M, “a good sport”.”
“SignalTrace may begin with a nameless pattern, but its value comes from recognizing that pattern again and connecting it to information that police already possess.”
From Middle English nameles, equivalent to name + -less. Cognate with Dutch naamloos (“nameless”), German namenlos (“nameless”), Danish navnløs (“nameless”), Swedish namnlös (“nameless”), Icelandic nafnlaus (“nameless, anonymous”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.