helpless
adjective
; Southern often ˈhep-ləs also ˈheəp-\
Definition of helpless
Keep scrolling for more
Synonyms & Antonyms for helpless
Synonyms
defenseless, exposed, susceptible, undefended, unguarded, unprotected, unresistant, vulnerable
Antonyms
guarded, invulnerable, protected, resistant, shielded
Visit the Thesaurus for More
Examples of helpless in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Teaching compassion will bolster communities, and kids who are actively engaged in their community will feel less helpless and more resilient. — Diana Bray, The Denver Post, "Diana Bray: We must deal with the trauma of these mass shootings, too," 4 Sep. 2019 Echoing the words of other critics, Grierson writes that the film belongs to Phoenix, who offers a nuanced interpretation of someone who is helpless and troubled and struggling to find connection. — Trilby Beresford, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Joker': What the Critics are Saying," 31 Aug. 2019 Namely, the money will not be used to stop the pervasive surveillance, data gobbling and hard-to-understand privacy problems that make consumers feel so helpless. — Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, "How Facebook’s $5 Billion Fine Should Be Spent," 20 July 2019 Three minutes later, Mallory Pugh carved apart the Thai defense, dribbled around a helpless and hapless Chor Charoenying, then ran toward the U.S. bench players and leaped into their arms. 11-nil. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Column: For U.S. women’s soccer team, problem is less the 13 goals than the 13 celebrations," 12 June 2019 Philip watched, astonished and helpless, as his wife was wheeled away. — Ann Neumann, Harper's magazine, "Going to Extremes," 10 June 2019 The family knew that Sardy’s mother suffered from delusions, but felt helpless to do anything about it. — Nancy Lord, Anchorage Daily News, "Searing account takes readers into one family’s experience of schizophrenia and homelessness in Anchorage," 29 June 2019 On balance, both she and the other two researchers give charismatic Christianity credit for endowing people who would otherwise be helpless with a sense of agency and purpose. — Erasmus, The Economist, "Why charismatic Christianity is popular with migrants," 3 Aug. 2019 Often misunderstood and underestimated, anxiety disorders can make those suffering feel alone and helpless. — Sponsored Content With Pure Farmaceuticals, Houston Chronicle, "6 Natural Ways to Treat Anxiety," 29 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'helpless.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for helpless
helpless
adjective
English Language Learners Definition of helpless
See the full definition for helpless in the English Language Learners Dictionary
helpless
adjective
\
Kids Definition of helpless
Keep scrolling for more