hapless

American  

[hap-lis] / ˈhæp lɪs /

adjective

1. unlucky; luckless; unfortunate.

   Synonyms:

   pitiable, pathetic, forlorn, wretched, woebegone, miserable

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hapless British  

/ ˈhæplɪs /

adjective

1. unfortunate; wretched

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Other Word Forms

• haplessly adverb
• haplessness noun

Etymology

Origin of hapless

First recorded in 1560–70; hap ¹ + -less

Explanation

Use the adjective hapless to describe someone unlucky and deserving of pity, like the hapless car buyer who gives in to the fast-talking salesperson. The word hapless traces all the way back to the Old Norse word happ, meaning “chance, good luck.” Combine this with the suffix -less (“lacking”) and hapless means “unlucky” or “ill-fated.” A traveler who goes to Moscow and briefly gets lost on the subway? Just a tourist. A traveler who goes to Moscow, accidentally eats food he is allergic to, somehow loses all his money, and by chance gets on a train destined for Mongolia? Definitely hapless.

Example Sentences

It’s a faithful facsimile—with a singular ingredient absent: the soulful performance of Al Pacino in the central role of the hapless bank robber Sonny.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

Which reminds me of another hapless cartoon character who thought himself a genius but who kept screwing things up in ceaseless pursuit of his quarry: Wile E. Coyote.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 27, 2026

After sailing virtually unscathed through most of the series, Rachel in particular gave a masterclass in deception by continually and subtly nudging the hapless faithfuls off the scent.

From BBC • Jan. 23, 2026

Yet no migrants ever stayed at the Armoni, which became a symbol of rampant waste and abuse in the city’s hapless contracting with human-services companies and nonprofits.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 2, 2026

I cut and ran toward the haystack, pounding past my hapless brother.

From "Secrets at Sea" by Richard Peck

Related Words

• unlucky
• woeful