powerless

pow·er·less | \ ˈpau̇(-ə)r-ləs

How to pronounce powerless (audio)

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Definition of powerless

1 : devoid of strength or resources powerless victims

2 : lacking the authority or capacity to act was powerless to help

Other Words from powerless Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about powerless

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Examples of powerless in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples on the Web The conservative argument would say that the Constitution leaves Congress powerless to deal with such a case — or with any scenario in which a president commits grossly impeachable acts in his final days in office. — Stephen I. Vladeck, Star Tribune, "Why Trump can be convicted even as an ex-president," 15 Jan. 2021 Our current economic system leaves the majority of people, including creative workers, vulnerable and powerless. — Robin Kaiser-schatzlein, The New Republic, "The Artist Isn’t Dead," 4 Jan. 2021 Afghan officials seem powerless to stop the lucrative trade; many have grown wealthy through their complicity in facilitating the trafficking. — New York Times, "In a Village of Widows, the Opium Trade Has Taken a Deadly Toll," 27 Dec. 2020 Republicans in the House and Senate were a powerless minority for all but four of her 33 years there. — WSJ, "Margaret Chase Smith’s Legacy Is Contested," 18 Dec. 2020 Jeeves and Bertie Wooster are crossed by the order of things, the boss set to task and taste by his assistant, and the injustice is comic because both of them are powerless to correct this misarrangement. — Nathan Heller, The New Yorker, "What if You Could Outsource Your To-Do List?," 30 Nov. 2020 These same witnesses feel police are powerless to protect them from retribution. — Sidney Fussell, Wired, "As Cities Curb Surveillance, Baltimore Police Took to the Air," 27 Nov. 2020 But Democrats are powerless as long as Republicans have control. — Edmund H. Mahony, courant.com, "Hope is fading for U.S. Senate vote on Connecticut judge’s nomination to the federal bench; Jongbloed has been waiting for more than a year," 18 Dec. 2020 Sue Mazzolini Before September, Sue Mazzolini felt powerless to do anything about the pandemic. — Amanda Morris, The Arizona Republic, "'Somebody has to do it': Volunteers help push COVID-19 vaccines toward the finish line," 13 Dec. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'powerless.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

23 Jan 2021

Cite this Entry

“Powerless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/powerless. Accessed 26 Jan. 2021.

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