windowless

IPA/ˈwɪndəʊləs/
KK[wˈɪndoləs]IPA/ˈwɪndəʊləs/

windowless — adjective

  • windowlesspositive
  • more windowlesscomparative
  • most windowlesssuperlative

1. A windowless room or building has no windows, so light and fresh air can only en

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

A windowless room or building has no windows, so light and fresh air can only enter through doors or vents.

Example

The basement office was windowless, so Nellie worked under artificial light all day.

collocation: windowless + basement / office

A windowless classroom can feel stuffy and uncomfortable during summer afternoons.

adjective before noun: a windowless + noun

Common collocations
  • windowless room
  • windowless building
  • windowless cell
  • windowless office
  • windowless basement
  • windowless van
  • windowless factory
  • windowless corridor
Synonyms
  • enclosed

    broader — can mean surrounded by walls or fences, not specifically lacking windows

Antonyms
  • windowed

    rare; mostly used in technical or computing contexts

Grammar Patterns

windowless + noun (attr.)

Usage Note

Subject is usually a room, building, or vehicle. Often implies the space feels dark or uncomfortable, though it can be neutral when describing storage areas or utility rooms.

Word family

  • window
    nounA1
  • windowpane
    nounB2
  • windowsill
    nounB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Windowless is the most specific term — it describes spaces built without windows. Enclosed covers a much wider range: a garden can be enclosed by a fence, and a stadium can be enclosed by a roof, neither of which relates to windows. Airless focuses on the lack of airflow, which may result from having no windows but can also happen in rooms that do have windows but are poorly ventilated. To describe a dark, windowless basement, use windowless; to describe a sealed shipping container, use enclosed; to describe a crowded lecture hall, use airless.

enclosed ↗windowless ↗airless ↗

Etymology

Old NorseMiddle EnglishEnglish

Formed from 'window' (from Old Norse 'vindauga', literally 'wind eye') and the suffix '-less' (meaning 'without'). The word has been used in English since at least the early 19th century.