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adjective C1 Advanced

aimless

AYM-luhs
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Aimless (adjective) means lacking a clear purpose or direction. Example: “He spent an aimless afternoon wandering the city.”

adjective
1
Lacking a clear purpose or direction.
"In the first few days of the fourth stage the lobsterlings are good swimmers — this is their "redeeming vice" — but the swimming is strong and bears no comparison to the aimless drifting movement characteristic of larval stages." — Albert Davis Mead, A method of lobster culture (1910)
"He spent an aimless afternoon wandering the city."
"Their aimless conversation drifted from topic to topic."

How to use aimless

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishWithout any clear goal or direction.

Common pairings
aimless wandering aimless drifting
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Word forms

Comparative
more aimless
Superlative
most aimless
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Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

He spent an _____ afternoon wandering the city.

Etymology

From "aim" plus the suffix "-less," meaning "without."

floating vagrant planless directionless undirected rudderless drifting adrift vagabond afloat

Antonyms

Related words

Rhymes for aimless

See all rhymes for aimless →

Frequently asked questions

What does “aimless” mean?
The word “aimless” means lacking a clear purpose or direction. In plain terms, without any clear goal or direction.
How do you pronounce “aimless”?
“Aimless” is pronounced AYM-luhs (/ˈeɪm.ləs/ in IPA).
How do you use “aimless” in a sentence?
Here is “aimless” used in a sentence: “He spent an aimless afternoon wandering the city.”
What part of speech is “aimless”?
“Aimless” is an adjective.

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