Helplessness: meaning, definitions and examples

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helplessness

[ ˈhɛlp.ləs.nəs ]

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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

Word origin

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.