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
Examples of powerless in a Sentence
I wish I could help you, but I am powerless in this situation.
Recent Examples on the Web
Women weren’t supposed to be powerless anymore, exactly; Katherine owned a rifle and showed her kids how to use a shotgun.
—
Alexis Okeowo, New Yorker, 16 June 2025
Researchers suggest that often, their natural need for connection with their parents renders the golden child powerless to choose their well-being over the relationship.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 14 June 2025
With their men slaughtered, local women in the epic like Briseis are driven to a horrific existence, enslaved by their Greek captors and the killers of their fathers, husbands and brothers—utterly powerless victims of war, subject to the soldiers’ every whim, including rape.
—Literary Hub, 13 June 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for powerless
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Alexis Okeowo, New Yorker, 16 June 2025
Researchers suggest that often, their natural need for connection with their parents renders the golden child powerless to choose their well-being over the relationship.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 14 June 2025
With their men slaughtered, local women in the epic like Briseis are driven to a horrific existence, enslaved by their Greek captors and the killers of their fathers, husbands and brothers—utterly powerless victims of war, subject to the soldiers’ every whim, including rape.
—Literary Hub, 13 June 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for powerless
Cite this Entry
“Powerless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/powerless. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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