1
: lacking protection or support : defenseless
as helpless as a flock of shepherdless sheep—
W. H. Mallock
W. H. Mallock2
a
: marked by an inability to act or react
the crowd looked on in helpless horror—Current Biography
Current Biography
b
: not able to be controlled or restrained
helpless laughter
helplessly
adverb
helplessness
noun
Synonyms
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
Zimbardo spent the rest of his career promoting his theory that humans are helpless against the evil that lies in wait within us to be triggered by circumstance.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 29 Nov. 2024
The Gray Panthers ran a Media Watch that scolded television shows for portraying the elderly as helpless, confused, or decrepit.
—Daniel Immerwahr, The New Yorker, 25 Nov. 2024
Thunberg’s vulnerability, combined with her resolve, represented both the fragility and the strength of our planet, and likely held up a mirror to the inner child within all of us who feels helpless in the face of overwhelming challenges.
—Mark Travers, Forbes, 25 Oct. 2024
This weather murders soldiers in body armor, laborers in farm fields, panhandlers on the street, grandma and grandpa, the helpless, the trapped, whoever.
—Outside Online, 23 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for helpless 
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Judy Berman, TIME, 29 Nov. 2024
The Gray Panthers ran a Media Watch that scolded television shows for portraying the elderly as helpless, confused, or decrepit.
—Daniel Immerwahr, The New Yorker, 25 Nov. 2024
Thunberg’s vulnerability, combined with her resolve, represented both the fragility and the strength of our planet, and likely held up a mirror to the inner child within all of us who feels helpless in the face of overwhelming challenges.
—Mark Travers, Forbes, 25 Oct. 2024
This weather murders soldiers in body armor, laborers in farm fields, panhandlers on the street, grandma and grandpa, the helpless, the trapped, whoever.
—Outside Online, 23 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for helpless
Dictionary Entries Near helpless
Cite this Entry
“Helpless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/helpless. Accessed 4 Dec. 2024.
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