Power Suffixes: -less

The suffix -less, meaning "without," is added to nouns and verbs to form adjectives. For example, a hopeless situation is a situation without hope. Learn these words that use the suffix less.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. boundless
    seemingly limitless in amount, number, degree, or extent
    The picture looked like a miniature monochrome galaxy, teeming with stars and worlds and boundless potential. We Are the Ants
  2. careless
    marked by lack of attention or consideration or forethought
    My mother would call me careless for letting this happen. Made You Up
  3. dauntless
    invulnerable to fear or intimidation
    The sea journey from Newcastle to Oslo took two days and a night, and if it was rough, as it often was, all of us got seasick except our dauntless mother. Boy: Tales of a Childhood
  4. defenseless
    lacking protection or support
    But the family also knew another side of Luma—that of a sensitive young woman with a deep concern for the weak or defenseless. Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference
  5. effortless
    not showing exertion or strain
    It’s such a graceful and effortless movement that I’m momentarily filled with envy. Everything, Everything
  6. fruitless
    unproductive of success
    After a minute of fruitless searching, she was simultaneously relieved and disappointed. The Martian
  7. peerless
    eminent beyond or above comparison
    The peerless laboratory facilities and distinguished faculty of New Haven, Connecticut, attracted an especially promising crop of young researchers. Big Science
  8. relentless
    never-ceasing
    The relentless pounding continued—not the rapping of knuckles, but the full-fisted heel of a hand. Scythe
  9. remorseless
    without mercy or pity
    Most like a spider she was, but huger than the great hunting beasts, and more terrible than they because of the evil purpose in her remorseless eyes. The Two Towers
  10. seamless
    perfectly consistent and coherent
    But even as the walls fell, there were still a lot of barriers to seamless global integration. The World Is Flat
  11. senseless
    not marked by the use of reason
    It seemed senseless to run away without money. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
  12. shiftless
    lacking ambition or initiative
    The skinflint materializes now and then to advise Dickens on storytelling and life choices, especially those involving the scribe’s shiftless though charming father. Washington Post (Nov 17, 2017)
  13. speechless
    temporarily incapable of speaking
    When they woke up, with the sun already high in the sky, they were speechless with fascination. One Hundred Years of Solitude
  14. timeless
    unaffected by the continuum from the past to the future
    He was bold and inspiring as he fought for the rights of people of every persuasion to speak their minds, and he remains inspiring in his commitment to this timeless American value today. Washington Times (Aug 12, 2018)
  15. worthless
    lacking in usefulness or value
    But now, in the bright sunlight of midday, the place looks like just another worthless patch of prairie. Dread Nation
Created on Wed Dec 05 12:36:45 EST 2018 (updated Wed Dec 05 13:07:20 EST 2018)

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