Definition

A type of clothing that does not have sleeves.

Example

She wore a sleeveless dress to the party.

Conversation

I just bought a new sleeveless dress for the summer.

That sounds cute! I love sleeveless styles in warm weather.

Yeah, I thought it would be perfect for the beach.

Definitely! You’ll stay cool and look great.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Sleeveless → It is formed from "sleeve" (from Old English *slēfa*, meaning the part of a garment that covers the arm) and "-less" (meaning without). The word "sleeveless" means without sleeves, referring to a garment that does not have arm coverings.

Memory Tip

Think of a garment that is 'without' ('-less') 'sleeves' — that's why sleeveless means it has no sleeves.

Visually Confused Words