endless

The word “endless” means having no end; going on forever or seeming to. In plain terms, without limit — either literally never-ending, or just extremely long or numerous.

“Endless” is pronounced EHND-lihs (/ˈɛndlɪs/ in IPA).

Here is “endless” used in a sentence: “The desert stretched out in endless dunes.”

Words with a similar meaning to “endless” include infinite, unlimited, eternal, never-ending, termless and ceaseless.

The opposite of “endless” — its antonyms — are finite and limited.

“Endless” is an adjective.

The word “endless” comes from Old English. From Old English endelēas, formed from end plus the suffix -less ("without").

“Endless” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.

Endless means having no end or seeming to go on forever, and it is often used figuratively or for emphasis. Infinite is more literal and measurable, describing something limitless in extent or number, so infinite is common in mathematics while endless is common in everyday speech.

Endless describes something with no end in duration or extent, as in "an endless wait." Countless describes something too numerous to count, so it refers to quantity rather than to whether something goes on forever.

Yes, endless is often used as an exaggeration meaning that something merely seems to have no end, as in "endless meetings." In this everyday, emphatic use it does not literally mean without any end at all.