powerless

adjective

pow·​er·​less ˈpau̇(-ə)r-ləs 

1

: devoid of strength or resources

powerless victims

2

: lacking the authority or capacity to act

was powerless to help

powerlessly adverb

powerlessness noun

Synonyms

• hamstrung
• handcuffed
• helpless
• high and dry
• hog-tied
• impotent
• impuissant
• paralyzed
• weak

Examples of powerless in a Sentence

I wish I could help you, but I am powerless in this situation.

Recent Examples on the Web

But by and large, Democrats have been left on the sidelines and powerless to query Musk and his deputies, let alone stop them. —Philip Elliott, Time, 6 June 2025

But when my 15-year-old cousin suddenly died in her sleep from a preventable genetic disease, my family was powerless to save her. —Isabel Van Brugen, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 June 2025

When Ginny & Georgia’s Brianne Howey entered the courtroom set for Season 3, she was tasked with playing a new version of her usually confident and cunning character– one that was now afraid, powerless, and exceedingly unsure of herself. —Jennifer Adams, StyleCaster, 5 June 2025

And an injured Tatum, a fellow Justice Leaguer in this metaphor, was powerless to aid them. —C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 17 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

powerless

adjective

pow·​er·​less ˈpau̇(-ə)r-ləs 

1

: lacking power, force, or energy

2

: lacking authority to act

powerlessly adverb

powerlessness noun