sightless
C2Pronunciation
UK
- /sˈaɪtləs/
US
- /sˈaɪtləs/
Description
- blind
- without sight
- unable to see
- unseeing
- visionless
To be sightless is to be unable to see. Most often, the word is used for a person or animal that is blind, whether from birth or because sight was lost later. It can also describe eyes that do not see, as in a line about "sightless eyes" staring ahead with no awareness. The word has a quiet, literary feel and often brings attention to how someone moves through the world by sound, touch, memory, or help from others.
It can also stretch into metaphor, but usually in a clear way. A writer may describe someone as sightless to danger or truth to suggest that they do not notice what is plain to others. Even then, the idea still comes back to vision: either real sight is absent, or inner notice seems absent.
The word sightless means without sight, or unable to see. In its most direct use, it describes a blind person or animal. It can also describe eyes that are open but do not see, which is why it often appears in literary descriptions such as "sightless eyes." The word is not harsh or clinical; it usually sounds softer, older, or more descriptive than a plain medical label.
In narrative writing, sightless often does more than state a fact. It invites the reader to notice how life continues without vision: a hand feeling along a wall, a familiar voice used as a guide, a room understood through touch, sound, and memory. Because of that, the word can carry a sense of vulnerability, dignity, mystery, or endurance, depending on the scene.
The word is also used figuratively, though less often than literally. Someone may be called sightless to a danger, a truth, or another person's pain, meaning they fail to notice or understand it. This figurative use still grows from the basic idea of not seeing what is there.
Overall, sightless is a strong descriptive word for the absence of vision, especially in literary or reflective writing. It works best when the focus is on blindness, unseeing eyes, or a clear failure to notice something important.
Examples
- 1
Guide dog
The guide dog stayed close to its sightless owner on the busy street.
Usage
sightless is a formal or literary word; in everyday English, people usually say blind
- 2
Literary description
His sightless eyes turned toward her voice when she entered the room.
- 3
Cave animals
Deep in the cave, sightless fish drifted through the dark water.
Forms and spellings
1 form open this card.
Main spelling
- sightlessadjective