hopeless

adjective

hope·​less ˈhō-pləs 

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

Synonyms

• incorrigible
• incurable
• irrecoverable
• irredeemable
• irreformable
• irremediable
• irretrievable
• unrecoverable
• unredeemable

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

Example Sentences

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

The phase two trial at UAB will explore whether the drug can help those suffering from demoralization, which is defined as feeling helpless, hopeless or lacking purpose. —Amy Yurkanin | , al, 21 Mar. 2023

Before the pair first meets one fateful day, neither Danny Cho (Yeun) nor Amy Lau (Wong) have any way of knowing just how hopeless, burned out, and adrift the other is feeling about their personal lives. —Charles Pulliam-moore, The Verge, 15 Mar. 2023

But as Andrei’s lifeless body rests at the front of the stage, ignored as the cast erects an ornate podium for Kutuzov to lie in state, Tcherniakov leaves the audience with a hopeless message. —Joshua Barone, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2023

But not taking those risks is a hopeless point of view to start from. —CBS News, 8 Mar. 2023

Teens who are bullied may feel isolated or unsafe, both physically and emotionally, as well as helpless and hopeless. —Jenna Ryu, USA TODAY, 16 Feb. 2023

At first, Marcus sees the team as hopeless, and who can blame him, given all the slapstick shtick Farrelly puts them through? —Peter Debruge, Variety, 7 Mar. 2023

That’s exceedingly unlikely to happen by chance, just as guessing the right pattern to fake a digital signature is provably hopeless. —Ben Brubaker, Quanta Magazine, 2 Mar. 2023

César isn't an overwhelmingly lovable character, but his tenderness in scenes with Sofía reveals the hopeless romanticism lurking below his swaggering surface. —Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 27 Feb. 2023

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Word History

First Known Use

1534, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

hopeless

adjective

hope·​less ˈhō-pləs 

1

a

: having no expectation of good or success

b

: incurable

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