toothless
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
having no teeth in the mouth.
lacking teeth; edentulous.
Simple“The old man gave a wide, toothless grin as he told his story.”
In context“The rescue center cared for several toothless senior dogs that required a specialized diet of soft, wet food.”
SynonymsedentulousAntonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
describing a rule, law, or group that has no real power to punish people or make them follow instructions.
lacking the necessary power, authority, or means to be effective or to enforce regulations.
Simple“Critics complained that the new environmental law was toothless because it had no fines.”
In context“Without the authority to impose financial sanctions, the regulatory body remained a toothless organization that companies simply ignored.”
UsageOften used to describe laws, regulations, committees, or agreements.
From Middle English tothles, from Old English tōþlēas, from Proto-Germanic *tanþlausaz (“toothless”), equivalent to tooth + -less. Cognate with Dutch tandeloos (“toothless”), German Low German tannlos (“toothless”), German zahnlos (“toothless”), Danish tandløs (“toothless”), Swedish tandlös (“toothless”), Icelandic tannlaus (“toothless”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.