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Synonyms

helpless

American  
[help-lis] / ˈhɛlp lɪs /

adjective

  1. unable to help oneself; weak or dependent.

    a helpless invalid.

  2. deprived of strength or power; powerless; incapacitated.

    They were helpless with laughter.

  3. affording no help.

helpless British  
/ ˈhɛlplɪs /

adjective

  1. unable to manage independently

  2. made powerless or weak

    they were helpless from so much giggling

  3. without help

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • helplessly adverb
  • helplessness noun

Etymology

Origin of helpless

First recorded in 1125–75; Middle English; help + -less

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Many of our children’s favorite apps and social-media sites were built from the ground up to keep young users hooked and helpless to look away, consequences to their health and well-being be damned.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 27, 2026

"I can't imagine how helpless people must have been," she said between heavy sighs, adding: "I really regret that I didn't knock on a single door."

From Barron's • Mar. 24, 2026

She adds that Covid left young people feeling helpless as they tried to manage the transition from full-time education to the workplace and missed out on work experience because of lockdown.

From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026

I don’t think it’s untrue to say that most people right now feel helpless, at least to some degree.

From Salon • Mar. 14, 2026

I coughed again and looked over at Idiptu, giving a helpless shrug.

From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.