| 释义 |
purposeless, a. (adv.)|ˈpɜːpəslɪs|
[f. purpose n. + -less.]
Devoid of purpose. a. Done, made, or produced without purpose or design.
1552Huloet, Purposeles, absurdus. Purposeles, or wythout purpose or reason, absurde. 1622Bp. Hall Contempl. O.T. xvi. Death Absalom, There are busie spirits that love to cary newes though thanklesse, though purposeless. a1656― Serm. on Eccl. iii. 4 Wks. 1837 V. 552 Prayer is ever joined with fasting in all our humiliations; without which, the emptiness of our maws were but a vain and purposeless ceremony. 1835Sir J. Ross Narr. 2nd Voy. vi. 80 A purposeless waste of time.
b. Having no purposes, plans, or aims.
1868Daily News 22 July, He looked limp and purposeless as a broken puppet. 1871Smiles Charac. i. (1876) 12 Without a certain degree of practical efficient force..life will be indefinite and purposeless.
Hence ˈpurposelessly adv., in a purposeless manner; aimlessly; ˈpurposelessness, lack of purpose, object, or use; aimlessness, uselessness.
1859Chamb. Jrnl. XI. 82 She was..purposelessly unsympathetic. 1867M. E. Braddon Run to Earth (1868) II. xiii. 221 [He] would..lounge purposelessly about, sullen and gloomy. 1848Fraser's Mag. XXXVII. 267 Repeating the same silly jingle of words with happy purposelessness. 1874–9Purposelessness [see dysteleology]. |