a. Now only literary and somewhat arch. [OE. witléas, also ʓewitléas: see WIT sb., IWIT, and -LESS.]
1. Lacking wisdom or sense; not guided by reason; unreasonable, foolish, heedless.
[a. 1000. Boeth. Metr., xix. 46. Wenað þonne swa ʓewitlease ðæt hi þa soðan ʓesælða hæbben.]
c. 1200. Ormin, 6197. Ȝiff þin macche iss wis & god, & tu wittlæs & wicke.
c. 1290. S. Eng. Leg., 248/263. Þov witlese wrechche.
c. 1400. 26 Pol. Poems, iii. 90. Witteles wordes in ydel spoken.
c. 1400. Brut, ccxiii. 249. Longe berde hertles, peyntede Hode witles, Gay cote graceles, makeþ Englissheman þriftles.
1559. Mirr. Mag., Dk. Clarence, xiii. I was witlesse, wanton, fond, and yong.
1581. Burne, in Cath. Tractates (S.T.S.), 170. Ane … confused rabil of vitles Bishopis.
1587. Turberv., Trag. Tales, 73 b. O wilfull witlesse acte, Which no man well aduisde would do.
a. 1676. Hale, Prim. Orig. Man. (1677), 356. To keep in and regulate the extravagant and witless Spirit of Man.
1724. Ramsay, Tea-t. Misc. (1733), II. 149. Why did I, young witless maid Believe the flatt’ring tale?
1794. Godwin, Cal. Williams, 42. Intended (witless and miserable precaution!) for the safeguards of the poor.
1803. Jane Porter, Thaddeus, xxxvi. This witless coxcomb.
1860. Motley, Netherl., v. (1868), I. 153. It was witless to believe that Parma contemplated any such measure.
1879. Butcher & Lang, Odyssey, 25, Telemachus, even hereafter thou shalt not be craven or witless.
1910. Times, 13 July, 12/3. He [Mr. Rolls] … had … to drop suddenly to the ground when descending owing to some witless spectators running into his way.
2. Mentally deficient or deranged; out of one’s wits, crazy, lunatic. † Also, stupefied, dazed.
c. 1000. Sax. Leechd., III. 146. On þam fiftan monþe he [sc. the fœtus] biþ cwica and weaxeð and seo modur lið witleas.
c. 1290. Beket, 1906, in S. Eng. Leg., 161. He eode op and doun ase witles.
1297. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 4414. He verde as a witles mon, hit was deol to be him ney.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, xxix. (Placidas), 440. Sa lang witlas stil he stud, Til þat nere he dronyt in þat flud.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. XIII. 1. I awaked þere-with, witles nerehande.
c. 1470. Golagros & Gaw., 573. Wraithly wroht, as thei war witlese and wode.
1571. Golding, Calvin on Ps. xxxiv. 1. The woord (witlesse) … will well agree, bycause Dauid feyned himself too bee out of his wittes.
16[?]. Young Musgrave, xix. in Child, Ballads, II. 249/2. She’ll gae witless wud.
1900. H. Sutcliffe, Shameless Wayne, iii. (1905), 26. It would never do to leave this witless body to the night-rain and the cold.
† 3. Devoid of understanding; having no intellectual faculty; irrational. Obs.
1382. Wyclif, Wisd. xv. 28. Thei most wrecchid herien bestes; witles forsothe, comparisouned to these.
c. 1395. Plowman’s T., II. 528. They … liven wors than witles beestes.
1577. T. Kendall, Flowers Epigr., 50. This Image … Tongles and witles.
1587. Golding, De Mornay, xiv. 236. Sillie Soules which go on still like witlesse Beastes.
4. Deficient in understanding; having undeveloped or imperfect intellectual power; unintelligent, undiscerning; stupid, dull-witted.
1562. A. Brooke, Romeus & Jul., 2470. Euen from the hory head vnto the witles childe Sho wan the hartes of all.
1612. Woodall, Surg. Mate (1639), 6. I hold none so witlesse which cannot make use thereof, when they once see but the instrument.
1625. Purchas, Pilgrims, II. VI. i. 777. The Inhabitants … are most base and witlesse people.
1822. Praed, Lillian, I. 140. The witless Child grew up alone.
1855. M. Arnold, Balder Dead, I. 98. Of ignorant witless mind Thou barest me, and unforeseeing soul.
b. Not understanding (something specified or implied); inapprehensive.
1614. R. Wilkinson, Paire Serm., 2. Witlesse to discerne what he is himselfe.
1637. Rutherford, Lett., To Jas. Lindsay, 7 Sept. (1671), 138. A witless and lazie observer of the Lord’s way and working.
1855. Browning, An Epistle, 143. The man is witless of … The value in proportion of all things.
1856. R. A. Vaughan, Mystics, III. iv. (1860), I. 85. The blue aether … at which to look up with smiles of witless wonder.
5. Not knowing; unaware, unconscious of.
In quot. 1827, incapable of.
1584. Reg. Privy Council Scot., III. 691. Ignorant and wytles of thair rysche and insolent behaviour.
1597. Beard, Theatre God’s Judgem., I. ii. (1612), 232. Guiltlesse and witlesse of the crime.
1827. Hood, Mids. Fairies, lxxxi. His pretty pouting mouth, witless of speech.
1850. P. Crook, War of Hats, 34. Witless of the storm his words excite.
1872. Blackie, Lays Highl., 82. He lay all witless of his doom.
6. Devoid of wit (WIT sb. 8). rare.
1753. Richardson, Grandison, II. xxvi. 200. Repartee and smartness; the current wit of that witless place.
1859. Habits of Gd. Society, 93. He can no longer claim exemption from solemn dinners,… and witless tea-parties.
Hence Witlessly adv., foolishly, stupidly; Witlessness, senselessness, folly, stupidity.
a. 1100. in Napier, OE. Glosses (1902), 213. Socordia, torpor, dementia, witleasnes.
1598. Florio, To Rdr. 7. Had not H.S. … so witlessly prouoked me.
1599. Sandys, Europæ Spec. (1632), 178. Divine blessing, which accompanieth good causes, where wickednesse or willull witlessenesse doth not barre against it.
1603. T. Morton, Preamb. Encounter, 72. Rather … accounted lyingly witty, than witlesly rash.
1766. Fordyce, Serm. Yng. Women (1767), I. vii. 302. The admiration raised by ‘a set of features…,’ is often by the witlessness of the possessor thrown down in an instant.
1855. Anne Manning, Old Chelsea Bun-ho., xix. 317. Everybody conceived themselves safe, as witlessly as they had previously held themselves to be in Danger.
1860. Pusey, Min. Proph., 239. Wisdom was turned into witlessness.
1879. Butcher & Lang, Odyssey, 282. He kicked Odysseus on the hip in his witlessness.
1910. Times Lit. Suppl., 10 March, 82/3. An artist … choosing to portray … the havoc and witlessness of mankind.
