What does furrowless mean?
Furrowless is an uncommon English adjective meaning “without furrows,” whether furrows are grooves in the ground, ripples on water, or creases on a face. A piece of land may be described as furrowless when no ploughed grooves interrupt it, while a forehead or expression can be furrowless when it shows no lines of worry or concentration. The word’s poetic associations give it an emphasis on smoothness, purity, and emotional calmness, although its literal application to unmarked soil is straightforward. Because furrows are familiar features of both fields and expressive faces, the adjective works effectively across literal and figurative contexts. It is readily understood but much less frequent in ordinary speech than smooth, level, or unwrinkled. Encountering furrowless can therefore be memorable both for its unusual formation and for its ability to turn an ordinary absence—the lack of a crease or groove—into a vivid description.
adjectiveHaving no furrows, grooves, or creases; smooth and unmarked.
- Without furrows, grooves, or creases; smooth.
"Her brow remained furrowless, though the news was troubling."
"The wind smoothed the lake into a furrowless silver sheet."
"Her brow remained furrowless, though the news was troubling."
Furrowless is the rare word for a face that refuses to show its worries.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does furrowless come from?
Furrowless was formed in English by adding the productive suffix -less to furrow. The base noun furrow comes from Old English furh and ultimately from Proto-Germanic *furhs; related forms appear in Old Norse fur and German Furche. The compound naturally conveys the absence of the long grooves associated with ploughing while extending by analogy to smooth surfaces and uncreased brows.
How furrowless is actually used
This is an uncommon word, used mainly in literary or poetic contexts. In literal use, it can describe land without furrows; figuratively, especially when applied to a brow or face, it suggests smoothness, calmness, or the absence of visible emotional strain. It is not common in everyday speech.