MINDLESS

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does mindless mean? 

• MINDLESS (adjective)
  The adjective MINDLESS has 5 senses:

1. lacking the thinking capacity characteristic of a conscious being

2. requiring little mental effort

3. not mindful or attentive

4. devoid of intelligence or thought

5. not marked by the use of reason

  Familiarity information: MINDLESS used as an adjective is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• MINDLESS (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Lacking the thinking capacity characteristic of a conscious being

Context example:

the shrieking of the mindless wind

Similar:

meaningless; nonmeaningful (having no meaning or direction or purpose)

Derivation:

mindlessness (total lack of meaning or ideas)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Requiring little mental effort

Context example:

mindless tasks

Similar:

nonintellectual (not intellectual)

Derivation:

mindlessness (total lack of meaning or ideas)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Not mindful or attentive

Synonyms:

forgetful; mindless; unmindful

Context example:

while thus unmindful of his steps he stumbled

Similar:

amnesiac; amnesic (suffering from a partial loss of memory)

Attribute:

heedfulness; mindfulness (the trait of staying aware of (paying close attention to) your responsibilities)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Devoid of intelligence or thought

Synonyms:

mindless; vacuous

Context example:

a vacant expression

Similar:

foolish (devoid of good sense or judgment)

Derivation:

mindlessness (the trait of acting rashly and without prudence)

mindlessness (total lack of meaning or ideas)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Not marked by the use of reason

Synonyms:

mindless; reasonless; senseless

Context example:

a senseless act

Similar:

unreasonable (not reasonable; not showing good judgment)

Derivation:

mindlessness (the trait of acting rashly and without prudence)

mindlessness (total lack of meaning or ideas)

 Context examples 

Clara was honest and quiet; but heavy, mindless, and unimpressible: not one whit to my taste.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)