adjective
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unable to manage independently
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made powerless or weak
they were helpless from so much giggling
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without help
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of helpless
Explanation
To be helpless is to have no ability to take care of or protect yourself from harm. A newborn baby is helpless, and needs parents to care for her. If you're helpless, you're dependent on other people to assist or care for you. Breaking both your legs will leave you helpless, and even being in an unfamiliar city can make you feel helpless as you wander around looking for your hotel late at night. You can also use helpless to mean "irresistible" or "uncontrollable," especially when someone bursts out laughing: "They broke into helpless laughter during his speech."
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.
From the fifth ball he faced on Saturday, he was left helpless by the Abbas shooter that left him palpably lbw, a delivery to once again ignite debate about the Lord's pitch.
From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026
Parents aren’t helpless here, whatever the settlement implies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
“But we shouldn’t be helpless, because we’re not helpless.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026
Years later, she testified against him, but rather than feeling empowered, she felt "oppressed and helpless" as she watched the man walk free under decades-old laws Hong Kong is now seeking to overhaul.
From Barron's ● Jul. 20, 2026
I couldn’t tell if she’d said helpless or hopeless.
From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan
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.
