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

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The report paints a picture of the federal system for protecting farm animals in transit as woefully inadequate and largely toothless, dating back to the era when livestock traveled primarily by rail. — Marina Bolotnikova, Vox, 24 Oct. 2026 Look no further than the past two weeks, when three major stories captured public fascination while traditional newsrooms responded with either deliberate silence or toothless coverage. — Matt Calkins Outkick, FOXNews.com, 20 Oct. 2026 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 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 27 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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