as in helpless
unable to act or achieve one's purpose
I wish I could help you, but I am powerless in this situation
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 powerless
And parents often feel powerless.
—
Jennifer Jay Palumbo, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
There is no more powerless group than children.
—Vincent Turley, Hartford Courant, 21 Aug. 2025
Yet here in Maryland, public sector workers are powerless to fight back.
—Tim Wright, Baltimore Sun, 20 Aug. 2025
Grace had no weapons in the demo and was powerless in the face of the enemy.
—Zackery Cuevas, PC Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for powerless
Jennifer Jay Palumbo, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
There is no more powerless group than children.
—Vincent Turley, Hartford Courant, 21 Aug. 2025
Yet here in Maryland, public sector workers are powerless to fight back.
—Tim Wright, Baltimore Sun, 20 Aug. 2025
Grace had no weapons in the demo and was powerless in the face of the enemy.
—Zackery Cuevas, PC Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for powerless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for powerless
Adjective
-
This burden of additional responsibilities and emotional labor with less resources lead many women to feel helpless, leaving divorce as the only escape.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
-
The sunbathers of sleepy Amity Bay are helpless against the unexpected great white shark that hunts their coasts; Spielberg’s talent for suspense, effective horror shocks, and ingenious reinvention of the classic animal-attack movie remain as impressive as ever.—
Christina Newland,
Vulture,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Feeling paralyzed in your job search?—
Maria Gracia Santillana Linares,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Her son was left paralyzed from the mid-chest down, had to have his left leg amputated at the knee and two thirds of his bowel removed — and almost a month later, is still in the hospital, where he is intubated and fighting an infection.—
Janelle Griffith,
PEOPLE,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The Royals made a lot of weak contact, which resulted in a mix of groundouts.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Last week, a weaker-than-expected jobs report added to expectations of an imminent rate cut by the central bank.—
Chloe Taylor,
CNBC,
9 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Powerless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/powerless. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share