1
as in incurable
not capable of being cured or reformed
a hopeless optimist who looked for the good in everyone and everything was a hopeless romantic who never stopped looking for a soulmate
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in cynical
emphasizing or expecting the worst
the poor woman was feeling hopeless about ever finding her lost cat
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in impossible
incapable of being solved or accomplished
keeping this desk organized is hopeless
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4
as in desperate
feeling or showing no hope
the hopeless look on the faces of the fans as the other team scored again
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hopeless
Ordinarily, none but the most hopeless of political junkies would care much about the selection, but there’s reason under these circumstances to pay attention.
—
The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 1 July 2025
Even the hopeless Pirates have been going back and forth with themselves about their plans, Stephen Nesbitt reported last week.
—Alex Kirshner, New York Times, 30 July 2025
This creates a situation in which a challenge to the incumbents looks hopeless.
—Jim Nowlan, Chicago Tribune, 18 July 2025
For a brief time, Jada Daves felt desperately hopeless.
—Brad Schmitt, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for hopeless
The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 1 July 2025
Even the hopeless Pirates have been going back and forth with themselves about their plans, Stephen Nesbitt reported last week.
—Alex Kirshner, New York Times, 30 July 2025
This creates a situation in which a challenge to the incumbents looks hopeless.
—Jim Nowlan, Chicago Tribune, 18 July 2025
For a brief time, Jada Daves felt desperately hopeless.
—Brad Schmitt, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for hopeless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hopeless
Adjective
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Jamie later explains to Anna that he has been diagnosed with a rare and incurable form of cancer — the same one that his brother, Eddie, died from.—
Caroline Blair,
People.com,
1 Aug. 2025
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With Securities and Exchange Commission filings saying Ellison will become CEO after the merger, that would trigger an incurable provision in the current co-CEOs’ contracts.—
Rick Porter,
HollywoodReporter,
24 July 2025
Adjective
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Home games were a communally happy experience instead of one in which 40,000 people were conditioned to expect the most cynical outcome possible.—
Jerry Beach,
Forbes.com,
12 Aug. 2025
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That was a shameful, cynical act of political cowardice and corruption.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
12 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Humanity Protocol, valued at over a billion dollars, uses palm scans to confirm identity so impersonation becomes almost impossible.—
Dr. Diane Hamilton,
Forbes.com,
13 Aug. 2025
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That suggests 2014 may have been a tipping point beyond which returning to normal wet-dry cycles may be impossible on human timescales.—
Mark Gongloff,
Mercury News,
13 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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In one of his first major film roles, Anthony Mackie plays a newly unemployed executive who, desperate for money, agrees to impregnate his lesbian ex-girlfriend (Kerry Washington) and all her friends.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
16 Aug. 2025
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Isak himself stressed his happiness in the spring and featured in club kit promotions, hardly the actions of someone desperate for a quick exit.—
Harry De Cosemo,
Forbes.com,
14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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People are despairing over the Supreme Court and its deference to the president.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
4 July 2025
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Alcaraz swung slice serves past a despairing Lehečka’s forehand, while the Czech’s deliveries leapt up off the grass, contorting Alcaraz into uncomfortable return positions.—
James Hansen,
New York Times,
22 June 2025
Adjective
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Charlotte Lawrence loves a good, gut-wrenching, sad song.—
Leah Lu,
Rolling Stone,
7 Aug. 2025
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Advertisement Advertisement Apologists for Israeli Government policy may argue that Israel is not intentionally starving people in Gaza, dismissing the famine as a sad consequence of a war, but the traditional Jewish sources are unequivocal.—
Michael S. Roth,
Time,
6 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Our Keith Law was one of the more pessimistic graders on De Vries in the most recent batch of prospect rankings — and Keith put him at No. 13 in the sport.—
Andy McCullough,
New York Times,
31 July 2025
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Meanwhile, broader public sentiment about the country's direction has also become more pessimistic.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 July 2025
Adjective
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As with almost any change, some residents were unhappy, mostly about being told to slow down.—
Phil Diehl,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Aug. 2025
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President Donald Trump was unhappy with July’s U.S. jobs report, which showed hiring slowing (with 73,000 jobs added, compared to 100,000 predicted) and revised past months’ numbers.—
Emma Hinchliffe,
Fortune,
4 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hopeless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hopeless. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.
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