tactless

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈtæktləs/ UK /ˈtæktləs/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

adj
lacking sensitivity in dealing with others; undiplomatic

His tactless remark about her weight silenced the table.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · lacking sensitivity in... undiplomaticinsensitive blunt indiscreet gauche clumsy brusque

Opposites

tactful diplomatic discreet sensitive

Word family

Forms tactlessness

Derived forms tactlesslytactlessness

Related forms tact tactful tactfulness

Etymology

From tact + -less. Tact is from Latin tactus ('a touch'), from tangere ('to touch').

tactus Latin tangere Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# tactless

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˈtæktləs/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈtæktləs/

## Meanings
1. lacking sensitivity in dealing with others; undiplomatic

## Examples
- His tactless remark about her weight silenced the table.

## Synonyms
- undiplomatic
- insensitive
- blunt
- indiscreet
- gauche
- clumsy
- brusque

## Antonyms
- tactful
- diplomatic
- discreet
- sensitive

## Derived Forms
- tactlessly
- tactlessness

## Related Forms
- tact
- tactful
- tactfulness

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: tactus
- Root: tangere

## Etymology
From tact + -less. Tact is from Latin tactus ('a touch'), from tangere ('to touch').

## AI Etymology
Tactless is from tact + -less. Tact is from Latin tactus ('a touch'), from tangere ('to touch'). Important recorded forms include tactus (Latin) and tangere (Latin). Morphologically, -less marks absence or lack, so the word names a state defined by being without the quality or thing expressed by the base. The modern sense is largely compositional, with the historical elements narrowing into a stable English lexical item. In current use it covers lacking sensitivity in dealing with others; undiplomatic. The wider family includes derived forms such as tactlessly and tactlessness and related words such as tact, tactful, and tactfulness.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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