Helpless: meaning, definitions and examples

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helpless

 

[ หˆhelplษ™s ]

Adjective
Context #1 | Adjective

feeling or showing inability to manage or cope

Unable to help oneself; powerless or incompetent. Synonyms include vulnerable, defenseless, and impotent.

Examples of usage

  • She felt helpless in the face of such overwhelming odds.
  • The child looked up at her with a helpless expression.
Context #2 | Adjective

lacking protection or support

Without the means to help oneself; needing assistance. Synonyms include unprotected, exposed, and defenseless.

Examples of usage

  • The stranded hiker was left feeling completely helpless.
  • She found herself in a helpless situation with no one to turn to.

Translations

Translations of the word "helpless" in other languages:

๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡น desamparado

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ เคฒเคพเคšเคพเคฐ

๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ช hilflos

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฉ tak berdaya

๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ฆ ะฑะตะทะฟะพั€ะฐะดะฝะธะน

๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ฑ bezradny

๐Ÿ‡ฏ๐Ÿ‡ต ็„กๅŠ›ใช (muryoku na)

๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ท impuissant

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ indefenso

๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ท รงaresiz

๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ท ๋ฌด๋ ฅํ•œ (muryeokhan)

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฆ ุนุงุฌุฒ

๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฟ bezmocnรฝ

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฐ bezmocnรฝ

๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ ๆ— ๅŠฉ็š„ (wรบ zhรน de)

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฎ nebogljen

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ธ vanmรกttur

๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ฟ ำ™ะปัั–ะท

๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ช แƒฃแƒซแƒšแƒฃแƒ แƒ˜

๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ฟ aciz

๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡ฝ indefenso

Etymology

The word 'helpless' originated in the 16th century from the combination of 'help' and the suffix '-less'. It has since been used to describe the state of being without the ability to help oneself or lacking protection. Over time, the word has evolved to encompass a range of contexts where one feels powerless or incapable.

See also: helper, helpers, helpful, helpfully, helpfulness, helping, helplessly, helplessness, unhelpful.

Word Frequency Rank

At #7,128 in frequency, this word belongs to advanced vocabulary. It's less common than core vocabulary but important for sophisticated expression.