Depthlessness

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A condition of being devoid of both substantial depth and emotional resonance, presenting a lack of profound significance in various contexts
2. The nature of being shallow and lacking in depth, indicating an absence of meaningful dimensions in both emotional and intellectual realms
3. An absence of any meaningful depth or dimension, suggesting a superficial quality in both emotional connections and intellectual engagements

Etymology: "Depthlessness" is a plain formation: the adjective "depthless," meaning without depth, with the suffix "-ness" added to turn a quality into a noun for that state. English has long used "-ness" this way, attaching it to adjectives to name a condition, so "depthless" becomes "depthlessness" as "kindness" comes from "kind." The adjective itself is built from "depth" with the suffix "-less," meaning "without." The pattern is the same as "fearless" or "careless," so the word names the absence of depth as a state of being rather than a single object or quality. Its use is figurative more often than literal, which is why the noun tends to describe shallow art, relationships or arguments rather than physical hollows.