What does sleeveless mean?
Sleeveless describes a garment or clothing design that has no sleeves. The word is especially common in discussions of summer clothes, including dresses, tops, shirts, blouses, and jackets. Saying that something is sleeveless focuses on the absence of fabric covering the upper arm, rather than on the presence or absence of a neckline, buttons, or other design features. The term is generally neutral and can describe both everyday clothing and formal or athletic garments. It is related to the closely associated word strapless, although the two are not identical: a strapless garment lacks shoulder straps, while a sleeveless garment lacks sleeves. Sleeveless is useful when the absence of sleeves is the central feature, as in clothing intended for warm weather, freedom of movement, or a particular visual style.
adjectiveHaving no sleeves; wearing or consisting of clothing without sleeves.
- Having no sleeves.
"She wore a sleeveless black dress to the summer concert."
"The sleeveless top was made from lightweight cotton."
"He wore a sleeveless shirt while running in the heat."
The suffix -less strips the sleeves away, turning a practical garment into a summer style statement.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does sleeveless come from?
Sleeveless is an English compound formed from sleeve and the productive suffix -less, meaning “without” or “lacking.” The base noun sleeve comes from Old English and denotes a covering for the arm. The compound follows a familiar English pattern in which -less is added to a noun to describe something deprived of that noun, as in countless other formations. Its related forms include sleeve, sleeving, and sleeveful.
How sleeveless is actually used
Sleeveless is a neutral adjective commonly used for clothing, especially warm-weather garments. It can describe the garment itself or a person wearing such a garment.
Easily confused with sleeveless
Sleeveless means without sleeves, whereas strapless means without shoulder straps; most strapless garments are also sleeveless, but the terms are not exact equivalents.