as in powerlessness
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Recent Examples of helplessness
For years, people who lived just outside the urban center of Boca Raton complained to each other about the massive new buildings going up all around Palmetto Park Boulevard and Mizner Park, but these conversations always ended with the same sense of helplessness.
—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 11 Mar. 2026
There’s a level of helplessness that drags up, being surrounded by AI tools and AI updates and AI jobs, only to be faced with an idiot parent or friend or casual acquaintance using AI to justify their shitty actions towards you.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 11 Mar. 2026
But Tolstoy showed us the panic and disorientation, the helplessness of the individual in battle.
—Literary Hub, 9 Mar. 2026
The low-pitch frustration and helplessness plaguing Ann give Constance Zimmer good material to work with.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2026
Overwhelm can beget helplessness.
—Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 24 Feb. 2026
Watching events unfold in a place that is so emotionally close to you while being physically distant creates a constant sense of helplessness.
—Emily Chan, Vogue, 14 Feb. 2026
Constant approvals feel like safety but create latency and helplessness.
—Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 10 Feb. 2026
The Global Compassion Coalition says that the first step to overcoming helplessness is to practice acceptance instead of resistance, which is a hard pill to take at the moment.
—Arkansas Online, 28 Jan. 2026
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 11 Mar. 2026
There’s a level of helplessness that drags up, being surrounded by AI tools and AI updates and AI jobs, only to be faced with an idiot parent or friend or casual acquaintance using AI to justify their shitty actions towards you.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 11 Mar. 2026
But Tolstoy showed us the panic and disorientation, the helplessness of the individual in battle.
—Literary Hub, 9 Mar. 2026
The low-pitch frustration and helplessness plaguing Ann give Constance Zimmer good material to work with.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2026
Overwhelm can beget helplessness.
—Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 24 Feb. 2026
Watching events unfold in a place that is so emotionally close to you while being physically distant creates a constant sense of helplessness.
—Emily Chan, Vogue, 14 Feb. 2026
Constant approvals feel like safety but create latency and helplessness.
—Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 10 Feb. 2026
The Global Compassion Coalition says that the first step to overcoming helplessness is to practice acceptance instead of resistance, which is a hard pill to take at the moment.
—Arkansas Online, 28 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for helplessness
Noun
-
Outcry is meant as an antidote to those feelings of powerlessness.—
Nina Metz,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Young far-right politicians may well understand that returning to the nation-state means choosing powerlessness.—
Joseph de Weck,
The Atlantic,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Colonel Lockjaw is an unforgettable character rife with conflict and vulnerability.—
Anne Thompson,
IndieWire,
12 Mar. 2026
-
While the book contains a small number of images of nudity, they are presented with unguarded vulnerability, including depictions of distressing medical experiences.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
All of them have the same susceptibility to certain pests.—
Steve Bender,
Southern Living,
10 Mar. 2026
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What has changed is not human susceptibility but machine competence.—
Deb Roy,
The Atlantic,
15 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Helplessness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/helplessness. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
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