shapeless

adjective

shape·​less ˈshā-pləs How to pronounce shapeless (audio)
1
: having no definite shape
2
a
: deprived of usual or normal shape : misshapen
a shapeless old hat
b
: not shapely
shapelessly adverb
shapelessness noun

Examples of shapeless in a Sentence

an old, shapeless baseball cap right now this clay is just a shapeless lump, but wait until I'm done sculpting it
Recent Examples on the Web Spruce, wry, soigné, specific Mr. V., pleasantly redolent of eau de cologne, had been replaced by an exhausted, old, generic guy in a shapeless hospital garment who smelled off. Joseph O’Neill, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024 Here is the elephant so far: Thirteen billion years ago, in a universe that was then less than a billion years old, the Milky Way was born as a shapeless cloud of gas and dust, forming metal-poor stars and rotating incoherently so that its stars' orbits were also haphazard. Ann Finkbeiner, Scientific American, 16 Jan. 2024 There's little that's more useless than a shapeless bra. Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 2 Nov. 2023 For many, these arm covers seem dated and conjure up visions of shapeless pieces of fabric that constantly fall off the side of the chair. Maggie Gillette, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Sep. 2023 We’re stuck with a story that feels shapeless, almost improvisatory, as if taking on social trends under the pretense of seeking authenticity. Armond White, National Review, 9 Aug. 2023 Air-drying my hair begets frizz, which threatens to turn curly and wavy hair into a shapeless, foamy cloud. Veronica Cristino, Vogue, 11 July 2023 But the dress that zipper is attached to feels too thin and shapeless. Lauren Puckett-Pope, ELLE, 6 July 2023 Accessible fashion for people with disabilities is often overlooked with many adaptive clothing options being shapeless rather than stylish. Good Housekeeping, 29 June 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'shapeless.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of shapeless was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near shapeless

Cite this Entry

“Shapeless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shapeless. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

shapeless

adjective
shape·​less ˈshā-pləs How to pronounce shapeless (audio)
1
: having no fixed or regular shape
2
a
: deprived of usual or normal shape
b
: not shapely
shapelessly adverb
shapelessness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on shapeless

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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