HELPLESSLY Synonyms: 98 Similar and Opposite Words

helpless

adjective

ˈhel-pləs

Definition of helpless

as in vulnerable

lacking protection from danger or resistance against attack after the storm we found a helpless baby bird that had fallen out of its nest

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in paralyzed

unable to act or achieve one's purpose we watched, feeling helpless, as the vase slipped from her hand and crashed to the floor

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 helpless Yes, there were moments of humor, such as getting magic potions around the campfire at the end of each stage by whacking helpless little elves, but most of it was played straight, to great effect. — Ollie Barder, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026 Our population feels sad, helpless, uneasy, fearful and worried — and with good reason. — Robert McGreevy, FOXNews.com, 18 Aug. 2026 Hundreds have felt helpless in the Via De La Paz, Pacific Palisades condominium complex, as the wildfire incinerated half of it. — Kara Finnstrom, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026 The wartime mood among European and American intellectuals was hopeless, or, rather, in her estimation, helpless. — David Denby, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for helpless

Recent Examples of Synonyms for helpless

Adjective

The fourth, the Indian rhinoceros, is vulnerable, its habitat shrinking rapidly as fragmented and isolated population groups spread across a shattered landscape littered with invasive plant species poisonous to the animals.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026
The storms destroyed sections of a seawall and historic boardwalk in Long Beach, shuttered a long-vulnerable stretch of coastal railway in San Clemente, and further threatened Carlsbad Boulevard, also known as Old Highway 101, in Carlsbad.

— Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of vulnerable

Adjective

Lasko suffered the spinal cord injury in a collision with a teammate June 30 that left him paralyzed from the chest down, with both arms affected, too.

— ABC News, ABC News, 16 Sep. 2026
The former labor and delivery nurse at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston then jumped from a second-story window in an apparent suicide attempt, which left her paralyzed from the waist down.

— Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 13 Sep. 2026

Definition of paralyzed

Adjective

Analysts say until there are clear guidelines on who can regulate prediction markets — possibly from the Supreme Court — DraftKings could be susceptible to headline volatility in the short term.

— Ananya Chetia, CNBC, 22 Sep. 2026
Yet in the twentieth century, when countries around the world prioritized the suppression of all wildfires, many areas became overgrown and susceptible to firestorms.

— Ingfei Chen, New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of susceptible

Adjective

But the White House Correspondents’ Dinner has devolved significantly since its glory days atop the comedy calendar, proving to be a weaker platform for political satire than the Onion’s takeover of Infowars.

— Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 21 Sep. 2026
Production disruptions and weak output in Chile, the world’s biggest producer, sent prices to record highs, with the US accumulating huge stockpiles and smelters in China forced to turn to scraps to meet that country’s industrial needs.

— Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of weak

Adjective

Bonta has said that Ellison’s pledge for the two studios to release 30 films a year wasn’t enough to end the legal wrangling because prosecutors often are powerless to enforce conditions after a deal closes.

— Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2026
So the people that are powerless and are being actively attacked and killed are not Jewish Israelis.

— Shirley Halperin, Rolling Stone, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of powerless

Adjective

If he were found incompetent, he would have been sent to a treatment facility until he could be reevaluated.

— Cristóbal Reyes, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Sep. 2026
Don Adams led the slapstick spy spoof as the brainy but hopelessly incompetent Agent Smart, starring alongside Barbara Feldon as the ever-capable Agent 99.

— Jack Dunn, Variety, 9 Sep. 2026