Mindlessly means doing something without really thinking about it or paying attention to what you're doing. When you mindlessly scroll through videos on your phone, your thumb keeps swiping but your brain isn't really engaged. You might look up twenty minutes later and barely remember what you watched.

The word suggests a kind of autopilot mode where your body goes through the motions but your mind has checked out. A student might mindlessly doodle during class, drawing elaborate patterns without actually deciding what to draw or even noticing they're doing it. Someone might mindlessly eat an entire bag of chips while watching TV, surprised when they reach in and find it empty.

Mindlessly isn't always bad. Sometimes doing things mindlessly, like brushing your teeth or tying your shoes, frees up your brain to think about more important things. But when you do too many things mindlessly, you can miss out on actually experiencing parts of your life. The opposite would be doing something mindfully or deliberately, where you're fully present and aware of what you're doing and why.