adj

toothless

TOOTH-luhs

Toothless (adj) means having no teeth. Example: “The toothless old dog could only manage soft food.”

adj

Having no teeth.

"The toothless old dog could only manage soft food."

Lacking any real power to enforce or punish; ineffective.

"Critics called the new regulations toothless, since they carried no real penalties."

"Without funding, the watchdog agency became a toothless bureaucracy."

How to use toothless

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishEither literally missing teeth, or (more commonly today) unable to actually enforce anything.

Memory tip

You'll most often meet this word describing weak laws, rules, or organizations rather than actual mouths.

Trace the full origin ↓

Common pairings

toothless law toothless regulator toothless smile

Word forms

more toothless comparative, most toothless superlative

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Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

The _____ old dog could only manage soft food.

Etymology

From Old English tōþlēas, built from "tooth" plus the suffix "-less" meaning "without".

Origin: Old English

Frequently asked questions

What does “toothless” mean?

The word “toothless” means having no teeth. In plain terms, either literally missing teeth, or (more commonly today) unable to actually enforce anything.

How do you pronounce “toothless”?

“Toothless” is pronounced TOOTH-luhs (/ˈtuθləs/ in IPA).

How do you use “toothless” in a sentence?

Here is “toothless” used in a sentence: “The toothless old dog could only manage soft food.”

What part of speech is “toothless”?

“Toothless” is an adjective.

Where does the word “toothless” come from?

The word “toothless” comes from Old English. From Old English tōþlēas, built from "tooth" plus the suffix "-less" meaning "without".

How many meanings does “toothless” have?

“Toothless” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: having no teeth.