helpless

adjective

help·​less ˈhel-pləs How to pronounce helpless (audio)
 Southern often  ˈhep-ləs,
 also  ˈheəp-
1
: lacking protection or support : defenseless
as helpless as a flock of shepherdless sheepW. H. Mallock
2
a
: marked by an inability to act or react
the crowd looked on in helpless horrorCurrent Biography
b
: not able to be controlled or restrained
helpless laughter
helplessly adverb
helplessness noun

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Zimbardo spent the rest of his career promoting his theory that humans are helpless against the evil that lies in wait within us to be triggered by circumstance. Judy Berman, TIME, 29 Nov. 2024 The Gray Panthers ran a Media Watch that scolded television shows for portraying the elderly as helpless, confused, or decrepit. Daniel Immerwahr, The New Yorker, 25 Nov. 2024 Thunberg’s vulnerability, combined with her resolve, represented both the fragility and the strength of our planet, and likely held up a mirror to the inner child within all of us who feels helpless in the face of overwhelming challenges. Mark Travers, Forbes, 25 Oct. 2024 This weather murders soldiers in body armor, laborers in farm fields, panhandlers on the street, grandma and grandpa, the helpless, the trapped, whoever. Outside Online, 23 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for helpless 

Word History

Etymology

see help entry 1

First Known Use

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of helpless was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near helpless

Cite this Entry

“Helpless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/helpless. Accessed 13 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

helpless

adjective
help·​less ˈhel-pləs How to pronounce helpless (audio)
1
: being without defense
2
helplessly adverb
helplessness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on helpless

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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