hopelessly

adverb

hope·​less·​ly ˈhō-pləs-lē How to pronounce hopelessly (audio)
: in a hopeless manner
stared hopelessly out the window
used especially as an intensifier
hopelessly optimistic
They fell hopelessly in love.
… the formerly despised and hopelessly middle-class game of golf.Ejner Jensen

Examples of hopelessly in a Sentence

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.
Each one of those endeavors has given me belief in myself, usually at times in my life when things have felt hopelessly off-course. Kimberly McCreight, Time, 3 June 2026 Communications with others might be hopelessly misunderstood. Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 3 June 2026 Cleveland demanded a premium, blue-chip pass rusher to make this deal, so the Niners were always going to fall hopelessly short. Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 1 June 2026 But for many, Los Angeles has become hopelessly unaffordable, which cast a shadow over so much. Times Staff, Los Angeles Times, 31 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for hopelessly

Word History

First Known Use

1616, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hopelessly was in 1616

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Cite this Entry

“Hopelessly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hopelessly. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.

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