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sightlessly

sightlessly

1 7.4
In a way that shows someone or something cannot see
  • adverb
  • /ˈsaɪt.ləs.li/
translation icon : sin ver
  • Closing the file, Lucas got out of his chair and wandered around to stare sightlessly out the window, working it through his head.
  • stare sightlessly
  • eyes stared sightlessly
  • stare sightlessly

Examples

  • "Fine, just fine." Iris stared sightlessly out the window, where the morning glory that twisted up the drainpipe had begun to die back, its leaves riddled by insects and the onset of cold weather into something that resembled old, tattered lace.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • Liz's head lay in the out basket, amid a pool of drool, eyes wide with astonishment, staring sightlessly into unknown distances.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • His visible eye was wide open, staring sightlessly up the hill.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • Male and female, understand?" Dancing Fox stared sightlessly at the point.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • Her unseeing eyes stared sightlessly ahead of her as if she hadn't a friend in the world.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • "He blinked sightlessly."

    Fiction book (1999)
  • Without undressing, he lay supine on the bed and stared sightlessly at the ceiling, Sara beside him, sleeping the hard sleep of exhaustion for now, though Gerald knew it would not last.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • "That's why you killed him?" Staffa's eyes narrowed as he remembered ripping the old man's head from his body, leaving it to stare sightlessly into Myklene's green sunset.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • The atmosphere following his departure was a trifle strained, what with Monsieur le Comte and his captain both glaring at me, Jamie glowering menacingly at them, and the dead man staring sightlessly up at the ceiling forty feet above.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • He sat on the park bench, staring sightlessly at the ground as if lost in thought.

Synonyms

blindly
vssightlessly
13 3.0

Without using sight, for example in the dark

is used for acting as if unable to use the eyes rather than merely not noticing
unseeingly
vssightlessly
8.2

To look without noticing what is in front of you

is used for acting as if unable to use the eyes rather than merely not registering

Surface Forms

sightlessly positive

Morphology

sightlessly = sightless (transparent) = sight + less + ly

Formed by adding the adverbial suffix '-ly' to the adjective 'sightless', a regular derivation.

Etymology

Sightlessly comes from the simple parts sight ('the ability to see'), -less ('without'), and -ly (makes an adverb). So, to act sightlessly is to act 'without sight', moving or looking as if you cannot see.