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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 shiftlessness

Shiftlessness was one of several thousand things with which she had no patience.

Local Color |Irvin S. Cobb
In this way John's cruelty and shiftlessness did more for England's good than the wisdom and strength of his father.

A History of England |Charles Oman
The incident shows, as well as anything, the barrenness and shiftlessness of the region.

On Horseback |Charles Dudley Warner
This shiftlessness was encouraged by the vast extent of unused and unoccupied domain.

The Life of John Marshall (Volume 1 of 4) |Albert J. Beveridge

Labor saves us from the chaos of sloth, the pains of shiftlessness.

Tablets |Amos Bronson Alcott

British Dictionary definitions for shiftlessness

shiftless

/ (ˈʃɪftlɪs) /

adjective

lacking in ambition or initiative

Derived forms of shiftless

shiftlessly, adverb shiftlessness, noun