helpless

adjective

help·​less ˈhel-pləs 

 Southern often  ˈhep-ləs,

 also  ˈheəp-

1

: lacking protection or support : defenseless

as helpless as a flock of shepherdless sheep

—W. H. Mallock

2

a

: marked by an inability to act or react

the crowd looked on in helpless horror

—Current Biography

b

: not able to be controlled or restrained

helpless laughter

helplessly adverb

helplessness noun

Synonyms

• defenseless
• exposed
• susceptible
• undefended
• unguarded
• unprotected
• unresistant
• vulnerable

Examples of helpless in a Sentence

The civilians were helpless against their attackers.

Firefighters were helpless against the blaze.

I feel helpless. Isn't there anything I can do?

The crowd was helpless with laughter.

He was helpless with rage.

Recent Examples on the Web

Art isn't like chess, where the brute force of machine learning efficiency has made even the best human players relatively helpless. —Kyle Orland, Ars Technica, 13 June 2024

Any of these tourist ships caught in the area at the wrong time would be helpless to capsize. —Bradley Brownell / Jalopnik, Quartz, 11 June 2024

So Max is casually watching this helpless young woman, her arm amputated, limping across the desert. —Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 31 May 2024

One of the two toddler boys left alone by their mom in a Washington Heights fire last month has died of his injuries, a tragedy that has left their grieving father questioning why the woman left the helpless brothers by themselves. —Elizabeth Keogh, New York Daily News, 2 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

see help entry 1

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

helpless

adjective

help·​less ˈhel-pləs 

1

: being without defense

2

: powerless

helplessly adverb

helplessness noun