toothless

adjective

tooth·​less ˈtüth-ləs How to pronounce toothless (audio)
1
: having no teeth
2
a
: lacking in sharpness or bite
… spoke in toothless generalities.—Arthur Hepner
b
: lacking in means of enforcement or coercion : ineffectual

Examples of toothless in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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At the current juncture, the SI Force seems toothless, though, unless Ferguson is right that existing consumer protection laws cover this new kind of harm. — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 15 Oct. 2026 RealPage trained its advisers to persuade skeptical landlords to enable a nearly toothless version of autoaccept that did not actually require them to accept any daily or weekly rent adjustments. — Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2026 The Buffs offense is so toothless that CU need not bother giving the opponent any hints. — Troy Renck, Denver Post, 5 Oct. 2026 Their previously clinical attack, with four goals scored from four shots on target across the preceding two league games, became toothless. — Chris Waugh, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for toothless

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of toothless was in the 14th century

Rhymes for toothless

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Browse Nearby Words

toothing
toothless
toothlet
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Cite this Entry

“Toothless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/toothless. Accessed 22 Oct. 2026.

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Medical Definition

toothless

adjective
tooth·​less ˈtüth-ləs How to pronounce toothless (audio)
: having no teeth
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