meaninglesslyadv.
/ˈmiːnɪŋlᵻsli/, U.S. /ˈminɪŋlᵻsli/ In a meaningless manner.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > intelligibility > absence of meaning > [adverb]
unsignificantly1644
insignificantly1651
unmeaningly1733
triflingly1759
inexpressively1823
meaninglessly1823
pointlessly1827
1823 M. W. Shelley Valperga III. vii. 160 Her arms hung lifelessly..her eyes were open, and glared meaninglessly around.
1849 J. Ruskin Seven Lamps Archit. i. 16 The expense..is sacrificed in domestic vanities, if not absolutely and meaninglessly lost.
1913 D. H. Lawrence Sons & Lovers x. 262 He was talking quite meaninglessly, only watching her.
1934 E. O'Neill Days without End i. 20 His features automatically assume the meaninglessly affable expression which is the American business man's welcoming poker face.
1974 R. Adams Shardik lvii. 493 He had seen into..a devil's hole where Shara lay meaninglessly murdered.
1990 A. Lurie Don't tell Grown-ups iii. 31 They begin to waste their youth and wealth: they give endless drunken parties and quarrel meaninglessly.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2001; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adv.1823