godless

C2 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈɡɑdləs/ UK /ˈɡɒdləs/ See IPA manual

Freq #22319

Meanings

1

adj
not believing in or acknowledging a god or gods

The pamphlet portrayed the secular republic as a godless society.
2

adj
impious or wicked, especially in strongly disapproving religious language

The preacher condemned the exploitation of the poor as godless conduct.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · not believing in or... atheistic irreligious nonreligious

2 adj · impious or wicked,... impious ungodly profane wicked

Opposites

godly devout religious pious

Word family

Derived forms godlesslygodlessness

Related forms atheism secular ungodly impiety

Etymology

Formed in Old English from god and the privative suffix -less, literally 'without God.' Cognates occur across Germanic languages. Alongside its literal religious sense, the word acquired a strongly judgmental sense, 'wicked or impious,' which should be read as the speaker's evaluation rather than a neutral description.

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# godless

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˈɡɑdləs/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈɡɒdləs/
**Frequency rank:** 22319

## Meanings
1. not believing in or acknowledging a god or gods
2. impious or wicked, especially in strongly disapproving religious language

## Examples
- The pamphlet portrayed the secular republic as a godless society.
- The preacher condemned the exploitation of the poor as godless conduct.

## Synonyms
- atheistic
- irreligious
- nonreligious
- impious
- ungodly

## Antonyms
- godly
- devout
- religious
- pious

## Derived Forms
- godlessly
- godlessness

## Related Forms
- atheism
- secular
- ungodly
- impiety

## Etymology
Formed in Old English from god and the privative suffix -less, literally 'without God.' Cognates occur across Germanic languages. Alongside its literal religious sense, the word acquired a strongly judgmental sense, 'wicked or impious,' which should be read as the speaker's evaluation rather than a neutral description.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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