as in unfortunate
having, prone to, or marked by bad luck
the hapless motorist had barely paid his bill and driven away from the body shop when a truck sideswiped his car
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of hapless
He is joined by American and Canadian stars new to the show including Crisp, Paulo Costanzo and Stephen Kunken, along with some older faces in the shape of Fleabag star Hugh Skinner, who returns as hapless intern Will Humphries, and narrator David Tennant.
—
Max Goldbart, Deadline, 9 Oct. 2025
Or does the breath of the chill foreshadow a grim fate for our engaging, if hapless, hero?
—Literary Hub, 6 Oct. 2025
The Grand Guignol gets a Bollywood makeover in Virat Pal’s satirical bloodfest about hapless paparazzi stumbling upon the dark secret behind a beloved Mumbai movie star’s beauty and tireless commitment to her craft.
—A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 3 Oct. 2025
Just ask the Packers, who got dumped by the winless, hapless Browns last weekend.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 25 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hapless
Max Goldbart, Deadline, 9 Oct. 2025
Or does the breath of the chill foreshadow a grim fate for our engaging, if hapless, hero?
—Literary Hub, 6 Oct. 2025
The Grand Guignol gets a Bollywood makeover in Virat Pal’s satirical bloodfest about hapless paparazzi stumbling upon the dark secret behind a beloved Mumbai movie star’s beauty and tireless commitment to her craft.
—A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 3 Oct. 2025
Just ask the Packers, who got dumped by the winless, hapless Browns last weekend.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 25 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hapless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hapless
Adjective
-
This is unfortunate, because part of what makes Moose Jaw historically significant is that the opposite of what is claimed at the Tunnels is true.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
20 Oct. 2025
-
This current injury sounds like something that is a result of something unfortunate away from the game, which is why everyone is being so cryptic.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
20 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Following Dombrowski’s comments and his belief that Harper is unhappy with his current contract situation, Sherman opened the door to a potential offseason trade that sends Harper elsewhere.—
Peter Chawaga,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Oct. 2025
-
People who will be sent there include those who let their poor unhappy doggies bark endlessly, those who throw trash on the beach and those who hunt exotic animals for sport.—
Marla Jo Fisher,
Oc Register,
22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Vasyanovych plays Roman, a luckless director who’s out of work and trying to shoot his latest film in a country whose dwindling population is still traumatized by the war.—
Christopher Vourlias,
Variety,
6 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hapless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hapless. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share