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mindlessly

mindlessly

11 5.8
Without thinking or paying attention
  • adverb
  • /ˈmaɪndləsli/
translation icon : sin pensar
  • Most of us want to spend hours and hours scrolling mindlessly on dating apps.

Most of us live mindlessly most of the time.

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Examples

  • I went to the kitchen and stood mindlessly in front of the stove for ten minutes.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • Bird trotted after him on its big flapping feet, mindlessly trampling anyone or anything in its path.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • Most of us live mindlessly most of the time.

  • So number one was mindlessly taking the the first small step.

  • I will not have my family mindlessly sitting around a telephone watching television all day.

  • I fed the money back into the machine mindlessly until I lost it.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • I hate to think how many I'm mindlessly paying without even making much use of them.

  • But you let them pass, knowing that you want only to act intentionally, not automatically, mindlessly.

    Academic text (1999)
  • We're either surfing on the Internet, texting on our cell phones, or staring mindlessly at a television set.

  • I went to the kitchen and stood mindlessly in front of the stove for ten minutes.

Synonyms

unconsciously
vsmindlessly
38 4.0

Without thinking or knowing you do something

is about lack of thought, attention, intelligence, and purpose
idly
vsmindlessly
37 3.7

To act in a lazy way without a clear purpose

is broader, also implying absent thought or intelligence
aimlessly
vsmindlessly
24 3.7

Without a clear purpose, direction, or plan

is more general, adding lack of attention and thought
absently
vsmindlessly
20 4.6

In a distracted way, as if your mind is somewhere else

is broader, also stressing missing thought and purpose
carelessly
vsmindlessly
20 1.0

In a way that you do something without thinking or paying attention

is broader, also highlighting missing thought and purpose
blithely
vsmindlessly
15 8.1

In a cheerful, careless way that shows little concern

is more general, adding lack of attention and purpose
senselessly
vsmindlessly
4 6.0

In a way that has no good reason or purpose

is broader, also implying missing thought and attention
absentmindedly
vsmindlessly
4 6.4

In a way that shows you are not paying attention because your mind is somewhere else

is not specific to distraction and adds aimlessness
pointlessly
vsmindlessly
4 4.3

In a way that has no purpose or use

is broader, also implying missing thought or intelligence
thoughtlessly
vsmindlessly
3 4.9

Without thinking carefully or caring about others

is more general, adding lack of attention and purpose
unthinkingly
vsmindlessly
3 5.8

In a way that shows no careful attention

is broader, also lacking attention, intelligence, or purpose
vacantly
vsmindlessly
3 4.8

In a blank way that shows no interest or thought

is broader, adding absent thought and lack of purpose
offhandedly
vsmindlessly
3 7.0

Speak or act without careful thought

is broader, also stressing missing attention and purpose
unadvisedly
vsmindlessly
2 8.4

To do something without thinking carefully first

is wider, also implying lack of intelligence or purpose
obliviously
vsmindlessly
1 6.5

Not noticing what happens around you

is wider, also including lack of thought and purpose
abstractedly
vsmindlessly
1 7.7

In a way that shows a person is lost in thought and not paying attention

is more general, implying no thought or deliberate aim
brainlessly
vsmindlessly
  • Offensive
1 7.0

Acting without thinking

is broader, also stressing missing attention and aim
vacuously
vsmindlessly
  • Formal
1 8.4

Acts without thought or understanding

is wider, also stressing missing attention and purpose
unmindfully
vsmindlessly
7.3

In a careless way without thinking

is wider, also implying lack of intelligence or purpose
inattentively
vsmindlessly
6.5

In a way that shows no attention to what is happening

is broader, also lacking intelligence and deliberate aim
witlessly
vsmindlessly
  • Offensive
8.6

In a way that shows little thought or understanding

is broader, covering lack of attention and deliberate aim
purposelessly
vsmindlessly
7.1

Doing something without a clear aim or plan

is broader, also implying absent thought or intelligence
causelessly
vsmindlessly
8.9

For no reason

is broader, also adding absent attention and deliberate aim
undesignedly
vsmindlessly
9.9

In an unplanned way not on purpose

is broader, also stressing missing thought and clear aim

Antonyms

320 3.7

To do something on purpose and with care

43 3.7

In a careful way that shows you pay attention before deciding

How Thoughtful

deliberately
320 3.7
thoughtfully
43 3.7
attentively
9 3.0
mindlessly
11 5.8

Surface Forms

mindlessly positive
mindlesslyer comparative
mindlesslyest superlative

Morphology

mindlessly = mindless (transparent) = mind + less + ly

Formed by adding the productive adverbial suffix '-ly' to 'mindless', preserving the adjective's meaning.

Etymology

Mindlessly is made from the parts mind (meaning 'thought' or 'attention'), plus -less ('without') and -ly which makes it an adverb. So mindlessly means doing something 'without thought' or attention — the opposite of mindful and, like careless, it shows a lack of thinking while you act.