Helplessness: meaning, definitions and examples
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helplessness
[ ˈhɛlp.ləs.nəs ]
feeling of
the state of being without help or support; inability to act or make decisions on one's own
Synonyms
dependency, powerlessness, vulnerability
Examples of usage
- She felt overwhelmed by a sense of helplessness.
- His helplessness in the face of the disaster was evident to all.
Translations
Translations of the word "helplessness" in other languages:
🇵🇹 desamparo
🇮🇳 बेबसपन
🇩🇪 Hilflosigkeit
🇮🇩 ketidakberdayaan
🇺🇦 безпорадність
🇵🇱 bezradność
🇯🇵 無力感 (muryokukan)
🇫🇷 impuissance
🇪🇸 impotencia
🇹🇷 çaresizlik
🇰🇷 무력감 (muryeokgam)
🇸🇦 عجز (ʿajz)
🇨🇿 bezmocnost
🇸🇰 bezmocnosť
🇨🇳 无助 (wúzhù)
🇸🇮 nebogljenost
🇮🇸 vanmáttur
🇰🇿 дәрменсіздік
🇬🇪 უსუსურობა
🇦🇿 acizlik
🇲🇽 impotencia
Etymology
The word 'helplessness' originated from the Middle English word 'helpeles', which meant 'lacking help or support'. The suffix '-ness' was added to form the noun 'helplessness'. The concept of helplessness has been explored in psychology, particularly in relation to learned helplessness, a condition where a person believes they have no control over their situation.
See also: helper, helpers, helpful, helpfully, helpfulness, helping, helpless, helplessly, unhelpful.