helplessness

Definition of helplessnessnext

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 helplessness There is a particular sort of helplessness that comes from knowing exactly how to fix a computer while being hundreds of miles away from it. New Atlas, 18 Sep. 2026 As Josephine’s mother, Claire, Chan is luminous with quiet sorrow, conveying maternal guilt and helplessness with precision. Clayton Davis, Variety, 9 Sep. 2026 To watch Shaw in full flight must fill defences with a sense of pure helplessness. Katie Whyatt, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026 Picture the anger and helplessness of watching that person bleed out through a video on your phone. Stephania Taladrid, New Yorker, 13 Aug. 2026 At this moment, complete inertia, helplessness, or escape seemed to be the only ways to react, but Zionism offered a strategy for coping with the changing circumstances, a strategy that had begun with Theodor Herzl. Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2026 Indignation emerged as the dominant emotion, cited by 80% of respondents, followed by helplessness (74%) and sadness (71%). Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 5 Aug. 2026 Europeans also exposed themselves to a concerted and resourceful Americanization, which partly accounts for their intellectual helplessness today. Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 28 July 2026 Welcome to the strange phenomenon of people expressing anger or helplessness to online content creators or writers who don’t acknowledge their specific lifestyles or limitations. Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 16 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for helplessness
Noun
  • New characters are introduced, many interesting details are offered, yet the narration never loses its focus, every sentence adding to the characters’ mounting sense of powerlessness in the face of such a tragic death.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Sep. 2026
  • This atmosphere of collective powerlessness offers one explanation for the conspiratorial thinking at the heart of Lamar versus Drake.
    Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 14 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • She’s lured to her choice by Ricki, played by Lily James, a charismatic empowerment guru who sees Rita as a mark, and her hauntedness as a source of vulnerability.
    Taylor Antrim, Vogue, 19 Sep. 2026
  • San Diego’s commitment to playing out of the back has also created one of its biggest vulnerabilities.
    Tyler Carmona, Miami Herald, 19 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Shift and feature two deep safeties, and the Bears could find susceptibilities in Minnesota’s ability to stop the run.
    Alec Lewis, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Operation Spider’s Web was a spectacular success for Ukrainian forces—and a chilling reminder of the United States’ susceptibility to a similar attack.
    Seth G. Jones, Foreign Affairs, 3 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Helplessness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/helplessness. Accessed 23 Sep. 2026.

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