as in powerlessness
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Recent Examples of helplessness
That helplessness amid an unrelenting, unforgiving illness.
—
David Oliver, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
This can lead to a sense of helplessness and fear, hindering creativity and collaboration.
—Kotter, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
And ultimately, both films are about helplessness.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2025
Before the service, Zehren acknowledged his own sense of helplessness in the moment of the attack, unable to save the lives of 8-year-old Fletcher Merkel and 10-year-old Harper Moyski.
—Andy Rose, CNN Money, 1 Sep. 2025
So then the remorse and the helplessness and the weight of everything that she's done in this whole journey that she's been on over this whole season just comes crashing down on her.
—EW.com, 26 Aug. 2025
My experience was essentially that of a passive observer, and that stoked an ever-mounting feeling of helplessness and horror at the individual experiences that flood social media.
—Hazlitt, 23 Oct. 2024
David Oliver, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
This can lead to a sense of helplessness and fear, hindering creativity and collaboration.
—Kotter, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
And ultimately, both films are about helplessness.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2025
Before the service, Zehren acknowledged his own sense of helplessness in the moment of the attack, unable to save the lives of 8-year-old Fletcher Merkel and 10-year-old Harper Moyski.
—Andy Rose, CNN Money, 1 Sep. 2025
So then the remorse and the helplessness and the weight of everything that she's done in this whole journey that she's been on over this whole season just comes crashing down on her.
—EW.com, 26 Aug. 2025
My experience was essentially that of a passive observer, and that stoked an ever-mounting feeling of helplessness and horror at the individual experiences that flood social media.
—Hazlitt, 23 Oct. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for helplessness
Noun
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There was a clear vocabulary to define consent within OneTaste, but one witness after another spoke of pressure and powerlessness.—
Thessaly La Force,
New Yorker,
29 Aug. 2025
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Workers internalize powerlessness, hyper vigilance, and anxiety.—
Rahkim Sabree,
Forbes.com,
19 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Unsurprisingly the vulnerability has been given a critical severity rating.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
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Gries and Light bookended the line of acceptance speeches, both touching upon the vulnerability of the arts and humanitarian work.—
Andrew McGowan,
Variety,
14 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Researchers at Johns Hopkins University found that a special MRI technique called quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) can measure levels of brain iron.—
Melissa Rudy,
FOXNews.com,
12 Sep. 2025
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Recall that the big picture in this discussion is whether something outside of a mental health precondition might also be a factor that leads to susceptibility to AI psychosis.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Helplessness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/helplessness. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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