hapless
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- haplessly adverb
- haplessness noun
Etymology
Origin of hapless
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.
Sam is hapless and downwardly mobile, yet he’s as likable as a shy puppy.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026
Hence, this nimble, propulsive movie, given a loose intimacy by Juan Sarmiento’s 16mm cinematography, proves to be oddly heartfelt when seemingly most cruel about Oscar’s hapless earnestness.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 30, 2026
The comedy sees Rogen play Matt Remick, the newly appointed hapless head of Continental Studios, who is desperate for celebrity approval while also trying to achieve both critical acclaim and box office success.
From BBC • Jan. 5, 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
With breathtaking accuracy it sprang straight into the air—twice the height of a person—and plucked the hapless creature off its perch.
From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer
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.
