Nameless

How to spell nameless

8 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce nameless

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does nameless mean?

1. adjectiveHaving no name, or with a name that is unknown or withheld.
2. adjectiveSo intense or terrible that it cannot be described or named.

Nameless in a sentence

• The donation came from a nameless benefactor who wished to stay private.

• A nameless dread settled over her as the lights flickered out.

• A nameless stray dog had been wandering the estate for weeks.

• The survivors spoke of nameless horrors they could barely put into words.

Where does nameless come from?

Language of origin: Germanic

This word is a transparent Old English compound, joining the noun 'name' to the suffix '-less'. 'Name' descends from Old English 'nama', which shares deep roots with the Latin 'nomen' and the Greek 'onoma', all meaning the word by which a person or thing is known. The suffix '-less' comes from Old English '-leas', meaning 'free from' or 'without', and is the same element seen in 'fearless', 'helpless' and 'careless'. By the medieval period 'nameless' was firmly established meaning literally 'having no name', and it later took on the figurative senses of 'anonymous' and of something so dreadful it could not be named. Because both halves are common, familiar English words, the spelling is simply 'name' plus 'less' with no doubled letters or silent surprises.

How the word is built

• name (from Old English nama)
• -less (without)