bootless

English

Etymology 1

boot +‎ -less

Adjective

bootless (not comparable)

  1. without boots

Etymology 2

From Middle English boteles, botles, from Old English bōtlēas, equivalent to boot (“profit”) +‎ -less.

Alternative forms

Adjective

bootless (comparative more bootless, superlative most bootless)

  1. profitless; pointless; unavailing
    • 1592–1609, William Shakespeare, Sonnet XXIX
      When, in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes, / I all alone beweep my outcast state / And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries
    • 1844, Sir John William Kaye, Peregrine Pultuney: or, Life in India, page 251:
      The lieutenant tried the handle again, but still his efforts were quite bootless. He pushed and kicked, but the door was a strong one.
Synonyms
Derived terms
This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.