different between gormless vs chinless

English

Alternative forms

• gaumless, gawmless

Etymology

From dialectal English gaum (“heed, attention”) +? -less (“without”), from Old Norse gaum, from Proto-Germanic *gaumaz, *gaum? (“heed, attention”). The ‘r’ found in this spelling is a vowel-lengthening device common in non-rhotic dialects of English.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /????ml?s/

Adjective

gormless (comparative more gormless, superlative most gormless)

1. (chiefly Britain and Australia, of a person) Lacking intelligence, sense or understanding; foolish.

Synonyms

• (lacking intelligence): dull, slow, stupid; inexperienced, naive

Derived terms

• gormlessly, gormlessness

Translations

English

Etymology

chin +? -less

Adjective

chinless (not comparable)

1. Without a (pronounced) chin.
   • 1949, George Orwell, Nineteen Eighty-Four, Part Three, Chapter 1, [1]

     Opposite Winston there sat a man with a chinless, toothy face exactly like that of some large, harmless rodent.
2. Having a weak or indecisive character; ineffectual or dim-witted.

Synonyms

• gormless

Derived terms

• chinless wonder

Translations

Anagrams

• slinches