a. [f. THRIFT1 + -LESS.]
† 1. Not thriving or prosperous; unsuccessful; unfortunate. Obs.
c. 1400. Brut, ccxiii. 249. Longe berde hertles, peyntede Hode witles, Gay cote graceles, makeþ Englissheman þriftles.
1467. Songs Costume (Percy), 56. Ye prowd galantts hertlesse, With your hygh cappis witlesse, And your schort gownys thriftlesse.
a. 1585. Montgomerie, Flyting, 387. This thriftlesse [infant] is meit for vs.
1591. Troub. Raigne K. John (1611), 39. As they shoulder thee from out thine owne,… So heauens crosse them with a thriftless course.
1592. Warner, Alb. Eng., VIII. xli. (1612), 197. A thriftles Mariage with the trustles King of Spaine.
† b. Not flourishing (in physical condition).
1693. Owen, Glory Chr., II. Wks. 1852, I. 442. If men will neglect their daily food … it is no wonder if they be weak and thriftless.
2. Unprofitable, worthless, useless. Now rare.
1568. T. Howell, Arb. Amitie (1879), 87. Pleasant sights begin to growe, among the thriftles thornes.
1601. Shaks., Twel. N., II. ii. 40. What thriftlesse sighes shall poore Oliuia breath?
a. 1619. Fotherby, Atheom., I. vi. § 4 (1622), 47. The most thriftles and vnprofitable part of all the whole Tree.
1750. Shenstone, Rural Elegance, 65. E’en thriftless furze detains their wand’ring sight.
1840. Carlyle, Heroes, v. A man must not complain of his ‘element,’ of his ‘time,’ or the like; it is thriftless work doing so.
3. Devoid of thrift; without frugality or economy; wasteful, improvident, spendthrift.
1576. Gascoigne, Philomene, 9. These thriftles birds … which spend the day, In needlesse notes.
1593. Shaks., Rich. II., V. iii. 69. He shall spend mine Honour, with his Shame; As thriftlesse Sonnes, their scraping Fathers Gold.
1647. Sanderson, Serm. (1657), II. 291. The unjust Steward; a faithless, and a thriftless man.
1702. Guide for Constables, 101. The thriftless poor.
1862. Sir B. Brodie, Psychol. Inq., II. iii. 105. The artisans in crowded cities … to a great extent indulging in intemperate and thriftless habits.
Hence Thriftlessly adv., wastefully; Thriftlessness, wastefulness, improvidence.
1846. Worcester, Thriftlessly (citing Lee). Thriftlessness (citing Chalmers).
1847. R. W. Hamilton, Disp. Sabbath, v. (1848), 188. They cannot spare thus thriftlessly moments which claim each its duty.
1858. Sat. Rev., 20 Nov., 494/2. Lords P—— and C—— seem rather to have copied the thriftlessness of Esau.
1862. W. W. Story, Roba di R., xii. (1864), 228. The usual thriftlessness of the people, who live from hand to mouth and from day to day.
