1
as in ruthless
having or showing a lack of sympathy or tender feelings
an affectless analysis of the cost of the war purely in pecuniary terms
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stoic
not feeling or showing emotion
the accused remained affectless throughout the long trial
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of affectless
The use of an A.I. program to replicate Warhol’s flat, affectless speech to read the diary entries had a strangely fitting logic.
—
Steve Dollar, Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2022
His paintings borrowed aspects of photographic vision (arbitrary cropping, dissonant overlap) and even photographic sensibility (cool, affectless, mechanical).
—Washington Post, 20 Jan. 2021
Mumblecore veteran Sheil, with her Raphaelite curtain of hair and almost affectless voice, can be an opaque heroine, and the plot, as far as there is one, feels halting at first, the dialogue choppy and unreal.
—Leah Greenblatt, EW.com, 30 July 2020
Johnny Flynn’s affectless monotone was crisp, clear, and cheery.
—Adrienne So, Wired, 1 Apr. 2020
See All Example Sentences for affectless
Steve Dollar, Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2022
His paintings borrowed aspects of photographic vision (arbitrary cropping, dissonant overlap) and even photographic sensibility (cool, affectless, mechanical).
—Washington Post, 20 Jan. 2021
Mumblecore veteran Sheil, with her Raphaelite curtain of hair and almost affectless voice, can be an opaque heroine, and the plot, as far as there is one, feels halting at first, the dialogue choppy and unreal.
—Leah Greenblatt, EW.com, 30 July 2020
Johnny Flynn’s affectless monotone was crisp, clear, and cheery.
—Adrienne So, Wired, 1 Apr. 2020
See All Example Sentences for affectless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for affectless
Adjective
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As a member of a crew that robs banks, Mr. Blonde is the most ruthless.—
James Brizuela,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 July 2025
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As they’re hunted by a ruthless drug gang led by the menacing Power (Aidan Gillen), their fight for survival becomes a journey of redemption.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
2 July 2025
Adjective
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Whether your preference is seaside towns, Olympic stadiums, stoic statues or artistic arches, Greece has plenty to fill your cellphone’s camera roll and offer you an unforgettable experience.—
Tracy Scott Forson,
Smithsonian Magazine,
11 July 2025
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The wildcard: Swiatek, normally stoic and focused on the court, has occasionally seemed distracted or at odds with herself this season.—
Corey Seymour,
Vogue,
11 July 2025
Adjective
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Frank Trapper / Contributor/Corbis Entertainment Lydia is a high-ranking and merciless executive at Madrigal Electromotive who helps supply Walt's meth operation.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 July 2025
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While Charlie Brown played things safe, Snoopy lived an exuberant life in his imagination, casting himself as a frustrated novelist, gleeful dancer, merciless attorney and even a prolific flying ace in a World War I Sopwith Camel.—
Chris Carra,
Smithsonian Magazine,
26 June 2025
Adjective
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And most of those business people tend to have rather stony, cold, dead eyes.—
Andrew Tobias,
Vulture,
7 July 2025
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The reef is home to 45 species of stony corals, according to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and 6,000 species of marine line total.—
Bill Kearney,
Sun Sentinel,
3 July 2025
Adjective
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From Hollywood's Golden Age and the '70s catastrophe obsession to today, these films have unearthed every pitiless corner of nature's wrath, from towering tsunamis and viral pandemics to all-out apocalypses and more.—
EW Staff Published,
EW.com,
3 July 2025
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They were born out of a pitiless epidemic, as a poignant yet futile attempt to allow his subjects to live forever on film.—
Chris Wiley,
New Yorker,
28 June 2025
Adjective
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Since seizing control of Afghanistan in August 2021, the group has implemented a string of oppressive measures against women and girls, even cracking down on the sound of women’s voices in public.—
Catherine Nicholls,
CNN Money,
8 July 2025
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Others reject the portrayal of federal actions as oppressive, suggesting deployments like those in Los Angeles prioritize national security and immigration enforcement.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
4 July 2025
Adjective
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Perhaps no human artist could tolerate producing such soulless lackluster, but an AI is unburdened by shame.—
Ian Bogost,
The Atlantic,
4 July 2025
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Adler pointed out that even soulless computer programs can happen to work in certain ways and have certain tendencies.—
Sharon Goldman,
Fortune,
26 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Affectless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/affectless. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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