Noah Webster's Dictionary (a.) Lacking ambition; inefficient; lazy; destitute of expedients, or not using successful expedients; characterized by failure, especially by failure to provide for one's own support, through negligence or incapacity; hence, lazy; improvident; thriftless; as, a shiftless fellow; shiftless management.

Multi-Version Concordance Shiftless (1 Occurrence) Proverbs 19:15 Hate of work sends deep sleep on a man: and he who has no industry will go without food. (See NIV)