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shiftless

[ shift-lis ]

/ ˈʃɪft lɪs /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR shiftless ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

lacking in resourcefulness; inefficient; lazy.

lacking in incentive, ambition, or aspiration.

Origin of shiftless

First recorded in 1555–65; shift + -less

SYNONYMS FOR shiftless

1 slothful, careless, indolent.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR shiftless ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM shiftless

shift·less·ly, adverb shift·less·ness, noun

Words nearby shiftless

shift to right, shiftable, shifter, shifting cultivation, shifting spanner, shiftless, shiftwork, shifty, shiga-kruse bacillus, shigella, shigella boydii

Example sentences from the Web for shiftless

A self-review of “Shiftless When Idle”: title—good; song—kinda.

The Return of the Replacements: Here Comes a Regular |Elizabeth Wurtzel |September 13, 2013 |DAILY BEAST
Third, he wants to turn America into a Euro-paradise for the shiftless and unmotivated.

Michael Tomasky on Mitt Romney’s Outside Pitch |Michael Tomasky |January 11, 2012 |DAILY BEAST
The other side can't stand the idea of taking wealth from hard-working Us to shiftless and lazy Them.

The Republican Frat-Boy Culture |Reihan Salam |March 28, 2010 |DAILY BEAST
In all work the shiftless methods of an older generation still survived.

The Colonel's Dream |Charles W. Chesnutt

Henry and the shiftless one looked each other squarely in the face.

The Border Watch |Joseph A. Altsheler
And the cheek of him, poor and shiftless, to think about Nell.

Rayton: A Backwoods Mystery |Theodore Goodridge Roberts
Most of the people laughed, and the shiftless one continued with random, cheery talk, helping Paul to hearten them.

The Forest Runners |Joseph A. Altsheler
Henry and the shiftless one certainly enjoyed the surprise of their comrades who stood staring.

The Free Rangers |Joseph A. Altsheler

British Dictionary definitions for shiftless

shiftless

/ (ˈʃɪftlɪs) /

adjective

lacking in ambition or initiative

Derived forms of shiftless

shiftlessly, adverb shiftlessness, noun