helpless

adjective

help·​less ˈhel-pləs 

Southern often ˈhep-ləs

also ˈheəp-

1

: lacking protection or support : defenseless

… as helpless as a flock of shepherdless sheep …

—W. H. Mallock

2

a

: marked by an inability to act or react

The crowd looked on in helpless horror …

—Current Biography

b

: not able to be controlled or restrained

helpless laughter

helplessly adverb

helplessness noun

Synonyms of helpless

• vulnerable
• susceptible

Examples of helpless in a Sentence

The civilians were helpless against their attackers.

Firefighters were helpless against the blaze.

I feel helpless. Isn't there anything I can do?

The crowd was helpless with laughter.

He was helpless with rage.

Recent Examples on the Web

Neighbors are feeling helpless, especially as tax season gets underway. —Carmela Karcher, CBS News, 8 Jan. 2026

Mick Vinter then put the Second Division side ahead with a shot from outside the penalty area before Dixie McNeil capped a stunning fightback three minutes later by volleying another Fox cross past a helpless Shilton. —Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026

Gemma Chan and Channing Tatum are the two helpless parents of a sensitive eight-year-old (Mason Reeves) who is deeply shaken after accidentally witnessing a horrific crime at a local park in Beth de Araújo’s devastating portrait of childhood trauma. —Radhika Seth, Vogue, 6 Jan. 2026

David Szalay’s recent novel Flesh captures with unsparing accuracy the consciousness of an ordinary man in helpless decline. —Kevin Power, The New York Review of Books, 25 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

see help entry 1

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

helpless

adjective

help·​less ˈhel-pləs 

1

: being without defense

2

: powerless

helplessly adverb

helplessness noun