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
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Recent Examples of hapless
The feds then demanded more and Armstrong is now gone, with hapless Columbia on its fourth president in less than two years.
—
New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 15 Apr. 2025
With that impetus gone, women’s standards for romantic partners have skyrocketed, leaving these hapless men unable to get a girlfriend.
—Constance Grady, Vox, 14 Apr. 2025
This particular assignment was to illustrate an essay by P.G. Wodehouse, the British author and humorist who created Jeeves, the consummate butler to the hapless Bertie Wooster.
—Penelope Green, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
Are these victims really just hapless fools with no idea they’re being duped into caring for alien eggs and hatchlings?
—Nathan H. Lents, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hapless
New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 15 Apr. 2025
With that impetus gone, women’s standards for romantic partners have skyrocketed, leaving these hapless men unable to get a girlfriend.
—Constance Grady, Vox, 14 Apr. 2025
This particular assignment was to illustrate an essay by P.G. Wodehouse, the British author and humorist who created Jeeves, the consummate butler to the hapless Bertie Wooster.
—Penelope Green, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
Are these victims really just hapless fools with no idea they’re being duped into caring for alien eggs and hatchlings?
—Nathan H. Lents, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hapless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hapless
Adjective
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After a half-decade of unfortunate injuries and the still-strange collapse in the bubble, Leonard at last looks like his two-time Finals MVP self.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
3 May 2025
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Responding to the precariousness of our moment, museums have reified the problem with an unfortunate watchword: relevance.—
Eric Crosby,
Artforum,
1 May 2025
Adjective
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Kraft had strong leads among some voting groups polled, the poll showed, including Republicans, voters who disapprove of Boston’s sanctuary city status, those unhappy with Boston’s quality of life, and those prioritizing government spending/taxes.—
Grace Zokovitch,
Boston Herald,
1 May 2025
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Sonya can be competitive about who is more unhappy.—
Jason Zinoman,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hapless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hapless. Accessed 15 May. 2025.
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