as in inability
the lack of sufficient ability, power, or means
cursed his powerlessness to affect the outcome of his friend's life-threatening illness
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Recent Examples of powerlessness
Violence can come from feelings of powerlessness and desperation.
—
Max Gao, Variety, 29 Apr. 2026
Forced into an uneasy alliance with a sharp-witted poacher living on the margins of society (Kellyman), the two women fight back, turning their powerlessness into strength through violence, wit, and defiance.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 27 Apr. 2026
The characters in this novel are forced to live in a neoliberal world where their powerlessness is already predetermined, and they’re ignored by society and told to just keep on living.
—Literary Hub, 23 Mar. 2026
Perhaps the deepest conflict is not between red and blue, but between power and powerlessness.
—George Packer, The Atlantic, 16 Mar. 2026
Outcry is meant as an antidote to those feelings of powerlessness.
—Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 24 Feb. 2026
This oscillation between rage at one’s own powerlessness and fantasies of violence is the song’s motive force.
—Mitch Therieau, New Yorker, 7 Feb. 2026
Dead Man’s Wire demonstrates the ultimate powerlessness of both captor and captive.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 5 Feb. 2026
So that fundamental feeling of powerlessness in the face of larger, ominous and obscure forces doesn’t feel very crazy or conspiratorial to me.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 13 Jan. 2026
Max Gao, Variety, 29 Apr. 2026
Forced into an uneasy alliance with a sharp-witted poacher living on the margins of society (Kellyman), the two women fight back, turning their powerlessness into strength through violence, wit, and defiance.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 27 Apr. 2026
The characters in this novel are forced to live in a neoliberal world where their powerlessness is already predetermined, and they’re ignored by society and told to just keep on living.
—Literary Hub, 23 Mar. 2026
Perhaps the deepest conflict is not between red and blue, but between power and powerlessness.
—George Packer, The Atlantic, 16 Mar. 2026
Outcry is meant as an antidote to those feelings of powerlessness.
—Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 24 Feb. 2026
This oscillation between rage at one’s own powerlessness and fantasies of violence is the song’s motive force.
—Mitch Therieau, New Yorker, 7 Feb. 2026
Dead Man’s Wire demonstrates the ultimate powerlessness of both captor and captive.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 5 Feb. 2026
So that fundamental feeling of powerlessness in the face of larger, ominous and obscure forces doesn’t feel very crazy or conspiratorial to me.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 13 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for powerlessness
inability
Noun
-
Unsurprisingly, Tigers athletic director Verge Ausberry had his new head coach's back while trashing former coach Brian Kelly and his inability to relate to boosters or fans during his time in Baton Rouge.—
Austin Perry OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
14 May 2026
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Andrews’s essay comes to the defense of former Harvard President Larry Summers, who resigned under pressure in 2006 after arguing that women might be underrepresented in the hard sciences because of their innate lack of interest in those fields and their inability to perform at the highest levels.—
Helen Lewis,
The Atlantic,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Powerlessness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/powerlessness. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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