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What is "spiritless"

Crossword clues for spiritless

spiritless
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
spiritless
adjective
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
▪ spiritless celebrations
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪ At this murky hour the luxurious hotel had a seedy, spiritless air, matching our mood.
▪ Lilian Arkwright grew up into a pallid, spiritless child; there was nothing notable about her except her curious teeth.
▪ Ruth and I played a spiritless game of Scrabble.
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Spiritless

Spiritless \Spir"it*less\, a.

  1. Destitute of spirit; wanting animation; wanting cheerfulness; dejected; depressed.

  2. Destitute of vigor; wanting life, courage, or fire.

    A men so faint, so spiritless, So dull, so dead in lock, so woebegone.
    --Shak.

  3. Having no breath; extinct; dead. ``The spiritless body.''
    --Greenhill. [1913 Webster] -- Spir"it*less*ly, adv. -- Spir"it*less*ness, n.

Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
spiritless

1560s, "dead," from spirit (n.) + -less. Meaning "having no vigor or vivacity" is from 1650s. Related: Spiritlessly.

Wiktionary
spiritless

a. Lacking energy, drive, motivation or emotion. enervated.

WordNet
spiritless

  1. adj. lacking ardor or vigor or energy; "a spiritless reply to criticism" [ant: spirited]

  2. lacking spirit; "it was a spiritless attempt"

  3. evidencing little spirit or courage; overly submissive or compliant; "compliant and anxious to suit his opinions of those of others"; "a fine fiery blast against meek conformity"- Orville Prescott; "she looked meek but had the heart of a lion"; "was submissive and subservient" [syn: compliant, meek]

Usage examples of "spiritless".

The infantry was a half-armed, spiritless crowd of peasants, levied in haste by the allurements of plunder, and as easily dispersed by a victory as by a defeat.

Where birth is respected, unactive, spiritless minds remain in haughty indolence, and dream of nothing but pedigrees and genealogies: the generous and ambitious seek honour and authority, and reputation and favour.

Spiritless, and utterly indifferent to what his fate might be, Dick Varley rode along with his head drooping, and keeping his seat almost mechanically, while the mettlesome little steed flew on over wave and hollow.

The bewailings of scaramouch, the dull and spiritless despair of Fastidio, offered a picture which would have made me laugh heartily if the danger had been imaginary and not real.

Whereas before, the spiritless and cowed people hung their heads and slunk away if one mentioned war to them, now they came clamoring to be enlisted under the banner of the Maid of Vaucouleurs, and the roaring of war-songs and the thundering of the drums filled all the air.

Thus easily do even the most startling novelties grow tame and spiritless to these sight-surfeited wanderers.