-less en · X
Pronunciation
- /ləs/
- (Southern-England) audio
- /lɪs/
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *lewh₁- Proto-Indo-European *lewHs-der. Proto-Germanic *leusaną Proto-Germanic *lausaz Proto-Germanic *-lausaz Proto-West Germanic *-laus Old English -lēas Middle English -les English -less From Middle English -les, -leas, from Old English -lēas (“-less”) (compare lēas (“devoid of, loose from, false”)), from Proto-West Germanic *-laus, from Proto-Germanic *-lausaz, from *lausaz (“loose”). (Not related to less, which derives from *laisiz, *laisizô.) Cognate with Scots -less, West Frisian -leas, Saterland Frisian -loos, Dutch -loos, Low German -los, German -los, Danish -løs, Swedish -lös, Icelandic -laus. More at loose.
Meanings
-
(morpheme, not-comparable, usually) Lacking (something); without (something). Added usually to a noun to form an adjective signifying a lack of that noun.
The ability of a segment of a glass sphere to magnify whatever is placed before it was known around the year 1000, when the spherical segment was called a reading stone, essentially what today we might term a frameless magnifying glass or plain glass paperweight.
2013 September-October, Henry Petroski, “The Evolution of Eyeglasses”, in American Scientist:aweless, skill-less, artless, doubtless, countless, soulless, will-less, tireless.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| more -less | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| -lesse | alternative, obsolete | lexicographic | |
| most -less | Degree=Sup | lexicographic |
Antonyms
-ed (antonym(s) of “lacking”) · -some (antonym(s) of “lacking”) · -ful (antonym(s) of “lacking”) · -y (antonym(s) of “lacking”)
Synonyms
-free (lacking) · ex- (lacking) · an- (lacking)
Translations (134)
cmn 無- /无- (lacking) · pa -ਹੀਨ (lacking) · tr -süz (lacking) · ms nis- (lacking) · sh bez- (lacking) · et -tu (lacking) · rom bi- (lacking) · lv bez (lacking) · gl sen (lacking) · la in- (lacking) · crs san (lacking) · luo onge (lacking) · te -లేని (lacking) · pam alang (lacking) · kmr bê- (lacking) · hu -tlan (lacking) · ve zwisina (lacking) · ace hana (lacking) · tl walang (lacking) · ms nir- (lacking) · yo àìní (lacking) · ja 無- (lacking) · cs bez- (lacking) · he אל (lacking) · iba nadai (lacking) · ca sense (lacking) · ka უ- -ო (lacking) · eo sen- (lacking) · ne -न- (lacking) · it s- (lacking) · pt des- (lacking) · om kan hin qabne (lacking) · es des- (lacking) · tr -siz (lacking) · it in- (lacking) · ar غَيْر ... (lacking) · pap sin (lacking) · ve asina (lacking) · ak nim (lacking) · ja -ない (lacking) · eu -gabe (lacking) · vi cây đinh không (lacking) · et -ta (lacking) · mn -гүй (lacking) · hu -hatatlan (lacking) · hu -telen (lacking) · az -siz (lacking) · aa sinni (lacking) · is -vana (lacking) · el α- (lacking) · it senza (lacking) · tr -sız (lacking) · cv -сӗр (lacking) · ja -無し (lacking) · hu -etlen (lacking) · tum wambura (lacking) · uk без- (lacking) · hu -hetetlen (lacking) · ro fără (lacking) · ar بِلَا (lacking) · sh без- (lacking) · ha mara (lacking) · ka არა- (lacking) · hy ան- (lacking) · bg без (lacking) · nl -loos (lacking) · ky -сыз (lacking) · ht e- (lacking) · fo -leysur (lacking) · gu -હીન (lacking) · mi kore (lacking) · pt sem (lacking) · kac n rawng ai (lacking) · cy di (lacking) · fi -tön (lacking) · bn -হীন (lacking) · os ӕнӕ- (lacking) · da -løs (lacking) · sw bila (lacking) · nl zonder (lacking) · yi ־לאָז (lacking) · ig enweghị (lacking) · la ne- (lacking) · ceb walay (lacking) · ga gan (lacking) · ha marasa (lacking) · tr -suz (lacking) · hu -atlan (lacking) · lt be- (lacking) · nqo ߕߴߊ߬ ߟߊ߫ (lacking) · hu -talan (lacking) · io sen- (lacking) · it dis- (lacking) · hu -tlen (lacking) · hu nélküli (lacking) · kl -eqanngitsoq (lacking) · af ont- (lacking) · fa بیـ (lacking) · ru бес(ъ)- (lacking) · no -løs (lacking) · sk bez- (lacking) · la sine (lacking) · lo ບໍ່ມີ (lacking) · hi -हीन (lacking) · el λιπο- (lacking) · ab -ыда (lacking) · udm -тэм (lacking) · id nir- (lacking) · ka უ- (lacking) · es sin (lacking) · fy -leas (lacking) · mk без- (lacking) · el αν- (lacking) · fi -ton (lacking) · hu mentes (lacking) · sv -lös (lacking) · ja 低- (lacking) · sq pa (lacking) · gd gun (lacking) · udm ӧвӧл (lacking) · tyv чок (lacking) · sl brez (lacking) · be без- (lacking) · cy di- (lacking) · la se- (lacking) · pl bez- (lacking) · is -laus (lacking) · mhr -дыме (lacking) · tl pugot ang (lacking) · kn -ವಿಲ್ಲದ (lacking) · fr sans ... (lacking) · ru без(ъ)- (lacking) · ak a enni mu (lacking) · de -los (lacking)