lifeless

/ˈlaɪfləs/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈlaɪfləs/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈlīf-ləs/ (ame, mw)

lifeless — adjective

  • lifelesspositive
  • more lifelesscomparative
  • most lifelesssuperlative

1. no longer living; having died, or appearing to have died, often used when a body

1.形容詞B2
釋義

no longer living; having died, or appearing to have died, often used when a body is still present or has just been found

例句

Rescue workers pulled a lifeless body from the wreckage of the collapsed building.

collocation: lifeless body

The bird lay lifeless on the grass after flying into the glass door.

predicative: lay lifeless

同義詞
  • dead

    More direct and common in everyday speech; 'lifeless' often emphasises the appearance or recent discovery of death

  • deceased

    Formal or legal term, used mainly in official documents or obituaries; never used predicatively ('the deceased man' but not 'the man was deceased')

  • inanimate

    Refers to objects that were never alive, not to things that have died

反義詞
  • alive

    General opposite across all contexts

  • living

    Emphasises ongoing life rather than the absence of death

用法筆記

More formal and clinical than 'dead'. Frequently used in news reports, medical contexts, or descriptions of discovery rather than everyday conversation.

常見錯誤

❌My phone battery is lifeless.
✅My phone battery is dead.
💡'Lifeless' is used for living things that have died, not for objects that stop working.
❌The flowers look lifeless because they need water.
✅The flowers look like they are dying because they need water.
💡For plants that are still alive but unhealthy, use 'dying' or 'wilting' instead of 'lifeless'.

2. lacking energy, excitement, or qualities that make something interesting or enjo

2.形容詞B2
釋義

lacking energy, excitement, or qualities that make something interesting or enjoyable

例句

The actor gave such a lifeless performance that half the audience fell asleep.

collocation: lifeless performance

Joaquín tried to join the conversation, but the lifeless atmosphere made him leave early.

collocation: lifeless atmosphere

同義詞
  • dull

    Less intense; used for anything not sharp or interesting

  • boring

    Stronger and more direct in everyday speech; 'boring' is subjective, while 'lifeless' suggests something is objectively flat

  • spiritless

    More literary and less common; suggests a lack of enthusiasm or energy from people specifically

  • flat

    Often used for jokes, performances, or dialogue that fail to produce the expected response

反義詞
  • lively

    The most direct opposite, used for events, conversations, and performances

  • energetic

    Describes people or activities full of energy

用法筆記

Describes the thing itself (performance, conversation, place), not a person's temporary feeling — compare 'I feel tired' (personal state) vs 'the speech was lifeless' (quality of the thing).

常見錯誤

❌I felt lifeless after the long flight.
✅I felt exhausted after the long flight.
💡For personal feelings of tiredness, use 'exhausted', 'drained', or 'worn out'.

3. of a place, having no people or living things present; appearing empty, still, a

3.形容詞B2
釋義

of a place, having no people or living things present; appearing empty, still, and without activity

例句

The streets of the old town felt lifeless after the main road was closed.

collocation: lifeless streets

A lifeless landscape of dry rock and dust stretched all the way to the horizon.

collocation: lifeless landscape

同義詞
  • deserted

    Emphasises that people have left; 'lifeless' puts more focus on the stillness and silence of the place

  • empty

    More neutral and general; does not carry the emotional tone of abandonment that 'lifeless' conveys

  • barren

    Describes land where nothing grows, while 'lifeless' can apply to any place without people

  • desolate

    Stronger emotional tone of sadness and abandonment; more literary

反義詞
  • crowded

    Opposite in the sense of having many people

  • bustling

    Emphasises activity and energy in a place

  • vibrant

    Suggests a place full of life, colour, and energy