measureless
/'meʤəlis/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Impossible to measure; having no limits in extent, size, or quantity; boundless, infinite. Describes something so immense or vast that it cannot be quantified or assigned a finite value.
Usage
- The adjective "measureless" is used attributively (before a noun) or predicatively (after a linking verb like "be" or "seem"). It is a formal, literary word, often used to describe abstract concepts like time, space, or emotion with a sense of awe or grandeur. It emphasizes an absolute, incomprehensible scale.
Examples
- Attributive use:
- The explorers gazed into the measureless depths of the canyon.
- She felt a measureless gratitude for their kindness.
- Predicative use:
- The universe is seemingly measureless.
- His ambition appeared measureless to his rivals.
Advanced Usage
- "measureless to man": A poetic phrase emphasizing that something is beyond human comprehension or calculation.
- The age of the stars is measureless to man.
- Used in contrast with measurable, finite things to create a rhetorical effect.
- We chart the measurable seas, but dread the measureless void between galaxies.
Variants and Related Words
- Immeasurable (adj): Synonymous with "measureless," often used interchangeably, though sometimes "immeasurable" can imply great difficulty in measuring rather than absolute impossibility.
- Limitless (adj): Having no limits or boundaries.
- Boundless (adj): Without bounds; unlimited.
- Infinite (adj): Without end or limit.
- Vast (adj): Of very great extent or size; immense.
Synonyms
- Boundless
- Limitless
- Immeasurable
- Infinite
- Fathomless
- Unfathomable
- Bottomless
Antonyms
- Measurable
- Finite
- Limited
- Bounded
- Calculable
Related Phrases and Idioms
- A measureless expanse/void/depth: A common collocation highlighting vast, unquantifiable space.
- The desert at night felt like a measureless expanse.
- Of measureless worth/value: Used to describe something considered priceless or invaluable.
- The ancient manuscript was of measureless value to historians.
Adjective
- without limits in extent or size or quantity
- limitless vastness of our solar system