Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- adj. Unable to help oneself; powerless or incompetent.
- adj. Lacking support or protection: They were left helpless in the storm.
- adj. Impossible to control; involuntary: helpless laughter.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- Incapable of acting without assistance; needing help; incapable of self-support or self-defense; feeble; dependent: as, a helpless babe; a helpless, shiftless fellow.
- Incapable of helping; affording no help; unaiding.
- Beyond help; irremediable.
- Unsupplied; destitute.
Wiktionary
- adj. Unable to defend oneself or to act without help.
- adj. Uncontrollable.
GNU Webster's 1913
- adj. Destitute of help or strength; unable to help or defend one's self; needing help; feeble; weak.
- adj. Beyond help; irremediable.
- adj. obsolete Bringing no help; unaiding.
- adj. rare Unsupplied; destitute; -- with
of .
WordNet 3.0
- adj. unable to manage independently
- adj. unable to function; without help
- adj. lacking in or deprived of strength or power
Etymologies
- From Middle English helples, from Old English *helplēas ("helpless"), equivalent to help + -less. Compare Dutch hulpeloos ("helpless"), German hilflos ("helpless"), Swedish hjälplös ("helpless"). (Wiktionary)
Examples
“As unexpressed, he feels it in what we called a helpless and oppressed way; as expressed, he feels in a way from which this sense of oppression has vanished.”
“If we love the creatures of earth, who are so gaily irresponsible, so full of zest, we shall share with them the large-hearted merriment of comradeship, and find that the blessing of the helpless is the key to unlock the world.”
“Shall we cease to teach our children that of all covetousness, that which would spoil the helpless is the most revolting?”
“He seemed a forgetful kind of gentleman, and his hands were what I call helpless hands, sir!”
“He was removed to what they call the helpless ward, where he was well nursed and attended.”
“I say that as a graduate of the University of Virginia who collapses in helpless laughter whenever I hear someone use the term “Virginia gentleman”.”
“Attempts at speech result in helpless coughing fits.”
“When they saw what had happened to the waitress, they stared in helpless horror, horrified by the horrific horrendousness of the situation.”
“Still, sympathy for the frightened and helpless is no reason to avoid the plain truth: We're in danger of seeing the electoral process hijacked by a massive coalition of the greedy, the cynical and the stupid - aided and abetted by the fearful, the angry, and the hate-filled.”
“Still, sympathy for the frightened and helpless is no reason to avoid the plain truth: We're in danger of seeing the electoral process hijacked by a massive coalition of the greedy, the cynical and the stupid -- aided and abetted by the fearful, the angry, and the hate-filled.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘helpless’.
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-more or -less
Words ending with *more or *less, more or less. Many of theses terms also appear on the list The -less Said, which see.
schemaless, jobless, endless, useless, unless, guileless, wireless, regardless, homeless, nevertheless, countless, doubtless and 434 more...
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Notable
undulate, priaprism, alphanumeric, conjure, love, roughshod, helpless, palatial, chortle, swimmingly, mustachioed, symbiotic and 21 more...
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Back and surprised
unexpected friend..., everyone is just ..., everyone has thei..., shared personalit..., hr process works, comparison, choose the best, making choices, big meet hangover, shyness, where to next, what to say next and 18 more...
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emo words
feelings...blah, blah, blah, feelings...
forsaken, anguish, angst, sorrowful, dejected, depressed, disconsolate, heartbroken, genial, chipper, inadequate, helpless and 58 more...
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Words I have to learn
exasperate, felony, weld, fraud, worksheet, ransom, rehearse, preliminary, offshore, parole, infamous, sieve and 436 more...
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classic695's Words
delighted, elated, energetic, excited, enthusiastic, elevated, happy, contented, fine, pleased, satisfied, compassionate and 168 more...
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colleen's words ii
sibilant, sundry, spindle, distaff, device, mortar, pestle, scythe, flail, thresh, frown, elementary and 495 more...
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feeling words
twitterpated, loquacious, ambiguous, pensive, sluggish, anxious, adventurous, curious, abandoned, absent-minded, abrasive, abused and 653 more...
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Expressions
(Facial)
pained, pitiful, reproachful, annoyed, dismissive, excited, eager, spiteful, contemptuous, passive, calm, nervous and 155 more...
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The -less Said...
hopeless, bootless, groundless, luckless, artless, feckless, hapless, joyless, useless, penniless, childless, peerless and 310 more...
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I am
considering, ruined, troubled, worried, frustrated, negative, depressing, depressed, depression, sick, exhausted, alone and 59 more...
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peanutt10's Words
jerk, fake, dance, unknown, flabbergasted, love, tard, rebecca, can, sarcastic, helpless, overwhelmed and 10 more...
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molotov
chiaroscuro, sitzbank, cigarette, balcony, sláinte, alfresco, *punch*, grin, babble, molotov, c'mere, kitschy and 57 more...
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less is more
words ending in -less
feckless, gormless, restless, breathless, clueless, rudderless, brainless, hapless, helpless
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