successlessadj.
/səkˈsɛslɪs/ Now rare; frequently in 17th and 18th centuries.
Without, or having no, success; unsuccessful.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > failure or lack of success > [adjective]
unsped1390
unprosperous1496
speedlessa1542
successless1584
abortive1593
still-born1600
unsuccessful1617
unsuccessive1617
unsucceeding1639
insuccessful1646
birthless1649
failed1655
misproving1798
inconclusive1841
abortional1843
nonsuccessful1867
also-ran1900
1584 G. Peele Araygnem. Paris i. v. sig. Bv How mightie men made foule succesles warre Against the gods.
1589 W. Warner Albions Eng. (new ed.) vi. xxx. 133 Succesles..and inrag'd.
1615 G. Sandys Relation of Journey 9 Divers great Princes,..with Successlesse labor, have attempted to make that rockie streight a navigable passage.
1641 Remonstr. of State of Kingdom 9 An expenseful and successelesse attempt upon Cales.
1667 J. Dryden Indian Emperour ii. i. 17 The hopes of thy succesless Love resign.
a1682 Sir T. Browne Christian Morals (1716) i. 18 That may succeed with one which may prove succesless with another.
1713 J. Addison Cato i. i Passion unpity'd, and successless love Plant daggers in my heart.
1782 F. Burney Cecilia I. ii. v. 251 Belfield fired first, and missed; the Baronet was not so successless.
1820 J. Clare Poems Rural Life (ed. 3) 138 By successless sallies wearied quite.
1875 R. Browning Aristophanes' Apol. 134 He sympathizes, he concerns himself, He pens epistle, each successless play.
1891 T. R. Lounsbury Stud. Chaucer I. i. 56 To make out the best showing possible for the English of a successless campaign.
Derivatives
sucˈcesslessly adv.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > failure or lack of success > [adverb]
unhappily1533
unluckily?1544
unprosperously1564
improsperously1605
unsuccessfully1649
successlessly1652
insuccessively1657
unsuccessively1707
unkindly1743
1652 P. Heylyn Cosmographie iv. ii. sig. Oooo4v Successlessly again attempted.
1744 T. Birch Life R. Boyle 27 After the queen's and others doctors remedies had been successlessly tried.
1827 Blackwood's Edinb. Mag. 21 790 We tried..on three days, successively and successlessly.
sucˈcesslessness n.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > failure or lack of success > [noun]
wanspeedc893
defaulta1387
unspeeda1400
faultingc1450
fail1477
defallation1490
ill, evil ch(i)eving?1518
misproving1542
defection1576
unsuccessa1586
defailance1603
abortiveness1611
defailment1612
ill success1615
failancea1627
unprosperitya1628
mis-success1641
successlessness1642
insuccess1646
intercision1647
failure1648
insuccessfulness1648
unprosperousness1648
defaillancy1649
unsuccessfulness1656
missucceedinga1661
non-success1665
defailurea1677
miscarrying1736
throwdown1887
short circuit1937
Palookaville?1954
1642 O. Sedgwick England's Preserv. 40 Like him in the Gospel who began to build, but did not make an end: Whereupon results a vanity and successelesnesse to our workes.
1906 B. Capes Loaves & Fishes 204 He permitted his employers so to presume upon his reputation for successlessness.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1915; most recently modified version published online March 2019).
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adj.1584