hopeless

adjective

hope·​less ˈhō-pləs How to pronounce hopeless (audio)
1
a
: having no expectation of good or success : despairing
felt hopeless and alone
b
: not susceptible to remedy or cure
doctors say his condition is hopeless
c
: incapable of redemption or improvement
She's a hopeless romantic.
the most hopeless group of golfers you've ever seen
2
a
: giving no reason to expect good or success : giving no ground for hope : desperate
The situation looked hopeless.
b
: incapable of solution, management, or accomplishment : impossible
a hopeless task
hopelessness noun
Choose the Right Synonym for hopeless

despondent, despairing, desperate, hopeless mean having lost all or nearly all hope.

despondent implies a deep dejection arising from a conviction of the uselessness of further effort.

despondent about yet another rejection

despairing suggests the slipping away of all hope and often despondency.

despairing appeals for the return of the kidnapped child

desperate implies despair that prompts reckless action or violence in the face of defeat or frustration.

one last desperate attempt to turn the tide of battle

hopeless suggests despair and the cessation of effort or resistance and often implies acceptance or resignation.

the situation of the trapped miners is hopeless

Examples of hopeless in a Sentence

He felt confused and hopeless after losing his job. We were the most hopeless group of golfers you ever saw. He's very ill, but his condition isn't hopeless.
Recent Examples on the Web But the situation isn't hopeless everywhere and a few U.S. states have eliminated them. CBS News, 22 Nov. 2023 But the situation isn’t hopeless everywhere and a few U.S. states have eliminated them. Steve Karnowski, Fortune, 22 Nov. 2023 The three – a deep sea fishing veteran, his son and a mysterious youngster – each have different and clashing motivations for embark on what appears to be a dangerous, possibly hopeless, mission. Patrick Frater, Variety, 9 Oct. 2023 By adulthood, many people with undiagnosed ADHD have spent years feeling isolated and hopeless, just as Wade did. Claire Sibonney, CBS News, 7 Nov. 2023 Kyiv still stands, but the counteroffensive has been slow, and a new and far more hopeless conflict in the Middle East has overshadowed the continuing violence. Jason Farago, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2023 Richard, meanwhile, sat there feeling numb and hopeless, trying to process the fact that his sister, his lifelong musical partner, was dead at 32 years old. Seth Abramovitch, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 Oct. 2023 But the month of June is here to give you reminders along the way that you’re never too lost and your case is never hopeless. Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 Nov. 2023 In the film adaptation of the 2006 best selling memoir of the same name, Roberts plays Liz Gilbert, a globetrotting, hopeless romantic who takes off for Italy, India and Indonesia to find herself. Alexandra Schonfeld, Peoplemag, 27 Oct. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hopeless.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1534, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of hopeless was in 1534

Dictionary Entries Near hopeless

Cite this Entry

“Hopeless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hopeless. Accessed 30 Nov. 2023.

Kids Definition

hopeless

adjective
hope·​less ˈhō-pləs How to pronounce hopeless (audio)
1
a
: having no expectation of good or success
b
2
a
: giving no reason for hope : desperate
a hopeless situation
b
: incapable of solution or accomplishment : impossible
a hopeless task
hopelessly adverb
hopelessness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on hopeless

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