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hapless

adjective
hap·​less | \ ˈha-pləs How to pronounce hapless (audio) \

Definition of hapless

: having no luck : unfortunate tale of a hapless sailor hapless beings caught in the grip of forces we can do little about— W. H. Whyte
Other Words from hapless Synonyms & Antonyms Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about hapless

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Other Words from hapless

haplessly adverb
haplessness noun

Did You Know?

Hapless literally means what you'd expect it to mean: "without hap"-"hap" being another word for "fortune" or "luck." Hap derives from the Old Norse word for "good luck." ("Happen" and "happy" are also descendants of the same ancient root word.) English has several words to describe those lacking good fortune, including "ill-starred," "ill-fated," "unlucky," and "luckless," a word formed in parallel to "hapless" by adding the suffix -less. "Ill-starred" suggests bringing calamity or the threat of a terrible fate ("the ill-starred year the Great Depression began"). "Ill-fated" refers only to being doomed ("the ill-fated voyage of the Titanic"). "Luckless" and "unlucky" usually apply to a person or thing notably or chronically unfortunate ("the luckless investor lost all her money" and "an unlucky man who failed at everything he tried").

Examples of hapless in a Sentence

She plays the hapless heroine who is unlucky in love. the hapless motorist had barely paid his bill and driven away from the body shop when a truck sideswiped his car

Recent Examples on the Web

 The Twins have six games remaining with Cleveland, including a Target Field three-game series beginning Friday, but conclude the season with 13 games against the hapless Detroit Tigers, Chicago White Sox and Kansas City Royals. — Charley Walters, Twin Cities, "Charley Walters: Vikings look like playoff team, and they better be," 31 Aug. 2019 Not drafted by or traded to but went to, thus reshaping the league’s power structure while also rewriting the narrative about one of the most hapless franchises in all of sports. — Los Angeles Times, "Column: Kawhi Leonard’s biggest impact won’t be on the basketball court," 20 Aug. 2019 Same goes for movie theaters, where this crowdfunded sequel to the 2001 cult comedy has finally been released, reuniting its original stars to play hapless Vermont state troopers. — Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, "Every movie you can see in theaters this weekend that's not 'Avengers: Infinity War'," 26 Apr. 2018 Caius Martius, the titular hero, played with cerebral, kinetic aplomb by the excellent Jonathan Cake, has McCain’s aversion to conventional manners and Bush’s hapless common touch. — Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, "Endgames in “Sea Wall/A Life” and “Coriolanus”," 12 Aug. 2019 So, too, the hapless babysitter who discovers the call is coming from inside the house, along with plenty of other frightening fare. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark," 11 Aug. 2019 Viewers have become especially fond of your co-stars Matthew Macfadyen, who plays Shiv’s hapless husband, Tom, and Nicholas Braun, who plays gangly Cousin Greg. — New York Times, "Can ‘Succession’ Succeed Again?," 8 Aug. 2019 For their part, the bad guys run a gamut from hapless to pure evil. — The Economist, "Jackson Brodie returns in “Big Sky”," 4 July 2019 The early screenshots on Google Play look, well, like a Plants vs Zombies game, with lots of cute plants like sunflowers and walnuts defending areas from hapless undead. — Andrew Webster, The Verge, "EA announces Plants vs. Zombies 3," 18 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hapless.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of hapless

14th century, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for hapless

see hap entry 1

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More Definitions for hapless

hapless

adjective
How to pronounce hapless (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of hapless

somewhat formal + literary : having no luck : very unfortunate

See the full definition for hapless in the English Language Learners Dictionary

hapless

adjective
hap·​less | \ ˈha-pləs How to pronounce hapless (audio) \

Kids Definition of hapless

: unfortunate sense 1 The hapless runner tripped during the race.

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More from Merriam-Webster on hapless

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with hapless

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for hapless

Spanish Central: Translation of hapless

Nglish: Translation of hapless for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of hapless for Arabic Speakers

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