soulless

soulless — adjective

1. describing a place, system, or situation that feels cold and unpleasant because

1.形容詞B2
釋義

describing a place, system, or situation that feels cold and unpleasant because it lacks the personal character or warmth that comes from human involvement.

例句

The new office tower was a soulless building of glass and steel.

soulless + building / place noun

Henrik found the airport terminal dark and soulless at midnight.

predictative: found + noun + soulless

同義詞
  • impersonal

    less emotional weight; simply means not personal or friendly

  • characterless

    focuses on lacking distinctive or interesting qualities rather than human warmth

  • cold

    more general; can describe temperature as well as atmosphere

反義詞
  • welcoming

    describes a place that makes people feel comfortable and wanted

  • inviting

    suggests a warm, attractive quality that draws people in

文法句型

soulless + noun

be/look/feel + soulless

用法筆記

Commonly applied to modern architecture, corporate environments, and large public spaces that feel impersonal. The focus is on the physical or structural quality, not on a person's emotional capacity.

常見錯誤

❌The actress gave a soulless performance' (to mean she lacked emotion).
✅The actress gave a flat, unfeeling performance.
💡'soulless' for a person's behaviour or performance typically belongs to sense 2, which is about emotional capacity.

2. showing or feeling no deep emotions such as love, pity, or joy — used especially

2.形容詞C1
釋義

showing or feeling no deep emotions such as love, pity, or joy — used especially of a person's eyes, expression, or behaviour that seems disturbingly empty of feeling.

例句

The suspect's soulless eyes showed no regret or pity.

soulless + eyes / body part

Beatrix could not forget the soulless tone of the officer's voice.

同義詞
  • unfeeling

    similar in meaning but slightly less intense; focuses on the absence of sympathy

  • cold-hearted

    more about deliberate cruelty or lack of kindness than absence of all emotion

  • dead

    more figurative and literary; can also describe a person's eyes or expression

反義詞

文法句型

soulless + noun (eyes, stare, expression)

be + soulless

用法筆記

In this sense, soulless almost always carries a negative, disturbing judgment — it is not a neutral description. It is frequently used with body parts (eyes, stare, voice) or descriptions of a person's nature.

常見錯誤

❌I felt soulless after the long flight.
✅I felt drained / numb after the long flight.
💡'soulless' is too strong and judgmental for temporary tiredness; it implies a deep, disturbing lack of human feeling.