Listless

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈlɪstləs/

Definitions

1. Lacking energy, enthusiasm, or interest in activities or surroundings; characterized by an absence of motivation or vigor
2. Lacking vitality, motivation, or active interest in one's circumstances or pursuits
3. Devoid of eagerness, drive, or emotional engagement with the world around oneself

Etymology: The word "list" in its old sense of "desire" or "pleasure" is the key to this one. Middle English "lystles" combined that noun with the suffix "-less", so a listless person was, quite literally, one without desire. The meaning was not about tiredness at all; it described someone lacking the appetite or inclination to do anything. German and Dutch show the same construction. German "lustlos" and Dutch "lusteloos" both mean "lethargic" or "listless," built from their own words for desire or pleasure plus the same suffix. English "lustless," which is a doublet of "listless," reflects the same root through a slightly different path, and both spellings reached the language from the same source. Over time the sense of "wanting" faded from the first element, and "listless" settled into describing the sluggish, uninterested state that its parts originally implied.

Synonyms: lethargic, indifferent, apathetic, uninterested, weary

Antonyms: energetic, enthusiastic, animated, lively, active