mindlessness
mindlessness — 名詞
1. behaviour, speech, or ideas that are completely foolish and have no sense, purpo
愚蠢；無意義
完全缺乏理智或目的的行為或言語
behaviour, speech, or ideas that are completely foolish and have no sense, purpose, or useful content — for example, the mindlessness of a piece of online writing that says nothing and adds no value.
The sheer mindlessness of the graffiti annoyed the shop owner — random lines meaning nothing at all.
塗鴉的愚蠢令人惱火——只是一些亂塗亂畫，完全沒有任何意義。
collocation: sheer mindlessness
Aisha was tired of the mindlessness in office meetings where people talked without saying anything useful.
Aisha 受夠了辦公室會議中的那些無意義的談話，大家說個不停卻沒講出任何有用的東西。
uncountable noun: the mindlessness in/of [context]
Critics attacked the film for the mindlessness of its violent scenes, which had no link to the story.
影評人抨擊這部電影的暴力場面毫無意義，與劇情毫無關聯。
Wei looked back at his old social-media posts and was embarrassed by their mindlessness.
Wei 回顧自己以前在社群媒體上發的文章，覺得那些內容真蠢。
- stupidity
broader, can also mean low intelligence rather than just meaningless behaviour
- senselessness
emphasises lack of reason or purpose
- meaninglessness
focuses on the lack of value or significance
- meaningfulness
having purpose and significance
- intelligence
showing thought and understanding
用法筆記
Often used with 'sheer' (the sheer mindlessness of...) to emphasise how extreme the lack of sense is.
常見錯誤
2. the quality of a task or activity that is so simple, easy, or repetitive that yo
不需動腦
活動簡單重複到無需思考的狀態
the quality of a task or activity that is so simple, easy, or repetitive that you can do it without thinking or concentrating on it.
Jorge quit because the mindlessness of the assembly line made him feel bored every day.
Jorge 辭掉了工廠的工作，因為裝配線上的工作機械化到讓他整天都覺得無聊。
collocation: mindlessness of [task/activity]
Elena actually enjoyed the mindlessness of folding laundry while she listened to music in the evenings.
Elena 其實很享受一邊聽音樂一邊摺衣服那種不用動腦的感覺。
positive use: enjoy the mindlessness of something
Some people find comfort in the mindlessness of simple chores like sweeping or washing dishes.
有些人覺得做掃地、洗碗這類簡單家事不用動腦，反而能讓心情放鬆。
Priya found the mindlessness of data-entry work depressing because she wanted to use her brain.
Priya 覺得資料輸入的工作枯燥乏味又不用動腦，她寧可做些需要用腦的事。
- automaticity
more technical; the quality of being done without conscious thought
- monotony
focuses on the boring, repetitive aspect rather than the thoughtlessness
- rote
mechanical repetition, especially in learning
- engagement
active mental involvement
- challenge
requiring effort and thought
用法筆記
Can be used neutrally or positively (enjoying the restfulness of not having to think), whereas sense 1 is always negative.
常見錯誤
mindlessness — 形容詞
- mindlessnesspositive
- more mindlessnesscomparative
- most mindlessnesssuperlative
1. not having or showing any awareness, thought, or consciousness — used to describ
無意識的
沒有思考或知覺的狀態
not having or showing any awareness, thought, or consciousness — used to describe a person, animal, or creature that seems to act without any mental activity behind its actions.
The creature in the horror film moved with a mindless, unstoppable energy that terrified the audience.
那部恐怖片中的怪物帶著一股機械化、無法阻擋的力量移動，把觀眾嚇壞了。
attributive adjective before noun
Kenji watched the goldfish swim in a mindless circle around its tiny bowl.
Kenji 看著金魚在小小的魚缸裡無意識地一圈一圈游著。
After the accident, Tomás lay in a mindless state, unable to respond to anyone.
車禍之後，Tomás 陷入無意識狀態，無法回應任何人。
The robot performed its job with mindless efficiency, never pausing or questioning its orders.
那台機器人以機械化的效率執行任務，從不停下來質疑指令。
- unconscious
medical/neutral, not negative like 'mindless'
- blank
empty of expression or thought, often about a look or stare
- automatic
done without thinking, but with neutral or positive connotation
用法筆記
When describing a person's state after injury or illness, 'mindless' is a very strong word — 'unconscious' or 'unresponsive' are more neutral and more common in medical contexts.
常見錯誤
2. done or created without any use of intelligence, reasoning, or thinking ability
不用腦的
缺乏智力運用的活動或內容
done or created without any use of intelligence, reasoning, or thinking ability — used to criticise activities, materials, or methods that do not engage the mind.
The textbook was full of mindless exercises that asked students to copy answers without understanding them.
那本教科書充滿了不用大腦的練習題，學生只要抄答案就好，根本不必理解。
collocation: mindless exercise / mindless task
Fatima refused to do the mindless busywork the manager assigned just to keep everyone occupied.
Fatima 拒絕做主管指派的那種純粹為了讓大家有事可做的不用腦的雜務。
Lin criticised the school for teaching mindless memorisation instead of real problem-solving skills.
Lin 批評學校只教學生死記硬背，而不是培養真正的解決問題能力。
The quiz show was a mindless guessing game where luck mattered more than knowledge.
那個益智節目根本是不用動腦的猜謎遊戲，運氣比知識更重要。
- unthinking
done without consideration, similar critical tone
- thoughtless
can describe either lack of intelligence or lack of consideration for others
- brainless
informal and more insulting
- intellectual
requiring or showing use of the mind
- thought-provoking
stimulating careful thinking
用法筆記
Strongly critical in tone. Use when you want to say that something is a waste of intellectual potential.
常見錯誤
3. describing an activity that is so simple or repetitive that you do not need to t
不需動腦的
簡單到不需專注或思考的活動
describing an activity that is so simple or repetitive that you do not need to think carefully while doing it — often used in a neutral or even relaxing way.
Miguel put on a mindless action film while he folded his laundry and tidied up the apartment.
Miguel 一邊摺衣服整理房間，一邊看一部不用動腦的動作片。
neutral/positive use: mindless [entertainment]
Thandiwe wanted a mindless task she could finish while listening to her favourite audiobook.
Thandiwe 想做一件不用動腦的事情，邊做邊聽她最愛的有聲書。
A mindless hobby like knitting or colouring helps you relax after a stressful day at work.
像編織或畫畫這類不用動腦的嗜好，反而能幫助你在忙碌的一天後放鬆。
The job was so mindless that Aisha could do it in her sleep without making any mistakes.
這份工作簡單到 Aisha 閉著眼睛都能做，不會出錯。
用法筆記
Unlike senses 1 and 2, this sense is not necessarily negative. Many people use 'mindless' to describe relaxing entertainment or simple chores that give the brain a rest.
常見錯誤
4. not paying attention to something, especially possible dangers or negative resul
不顧後果的
不注意或不關心行為後果的
not paying attention to something, especially possible dangers or negative results — behaving as if you do not care about the effects of your actions.
The driver was mindless of the speed limit and caused a crash on the wet road.
那名駕駛毫不在乎速限，在濕滑的路上造成了車禍。
pattern: mindless of [something]
Wei made a mindless remark about his friend's meal and felt terrible when he saw the hurt look.
Wei 隨口說了一句話取笑朋友的料理，看到對方受傷的表情後覺得很內疚。
The company's mindless pursuit of profit damaged the river that local communities depended on.
這間公司不顧後果地追求利潤，污染了當地社區賴以為生的河流。
Elena's mindless spending left her bank account almost empty by the middle of the month.
Elena 毫無節制地亂花錢，到了月中銀行戶頭就幾乎見底了。
文法句型
mindless + of + noun phrase
用法筆記
The pattern 'mindless of + noun' (e.g. mindless of the danger, mindless of the cost) is formal and slightly literary. In everyday speech, 'careless about' or 'oblivious to' are more common.