helpless

[help-lis]

See more synonyms for helpless on Thesaurus.com

adjective

unable to help oneself; weak or dependent: a helpless invalid.
deprived of strength or power; powerless; incapacitated: They were helpless with laughter.
affording no help.

Origin of helpless

Middle English word dating back to 1125–75; see origin at help, -less

Related formshelp·less·ly, adverbhelp·less·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for helpless

Contemporary Examples

“It's insane to see what the extreme version of that type of helpless anger combined with mental illness can create,” Cook wrote.
School Shooters Love This Pickup Artist Website
Brandy Zadrozny
December 5, 2014
“No, the church has to be on the side of the most disadvantaged, of the poorest, of the helpless,” the padre tells us.
Mexico’s Holy Warrior Against the Cartels
Jason McGahan
November 18, 2014
He saves the helpless from burning buildings and puppies from untimely deaths.
The Ugly Truth About Cory Booker, New Jersey’s Golden Boy
Olivia Nuzzi
October 20, 2014
At the stage when you are a helpless baby, Mom is, literally, everything.
Postpartum Stigma: Why My Patient Committed Suicide
Jean Kim
August 5, 2014
Helpless women and children are bombed in a U.N. shelter, and the overall toll passes 1,000.
Hope When the World’s Gone Off the Rails
Gene Robinson
July 27, 2014

Historical Examples

I remembered the helpless kid that Paralus confided to my care.
Philothea
Lydia Maria Child
John made a helpless gesture, and at a renewed call, went indoors.
The Armourer's Prentices
Charlotte M. Yonge
She fell to the floor in helpless, shrieking laughter when he came.
The Spenders
Harry Leon Wilson
But she could not get her mother's feeling of him as a helpless, dependent thing.
Life and Death of Harriett Frean
May Sinclair
Nay, we must carry on and play the part of the helpless merchant.
The White Company
Arthur Conan Doyle

British Dictionary definitions for helpless

helpless

adjective

unable to manage independently
made powerless or weakthey were helpless from so much giggling
without help

Derived Formshelplessly, adverbhelplessness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for helpless

adj.

"unable to act for oneself," c.1200, from help (n.) + -less. Related: Helplessly; helplessness. In Middle English and later sometimes also "unable to give help, affording no help" (late 14c.), but this was never common.

helpless

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}helpless

Examples from the Web for helpless

Contemporary Examples

“It's insane to see what the extreme version of that type of helpless anger combined with mental illness can create,” Cook wrote.

“No, the church has to be on the side of the most disadvantaged, of the poorest, of the helpless,” the padre tells us.

He saves the helpless from burning buildings and puppies from untimely deaths.

At the stage when you are a helpless baby, Mom is, literally, everything.

Helpless women and children are bombed in a U.N. shelter, and the overall toll passes 1,000.

Historical Examples

I remembered the helpless kid that Paralus confided to my care.

John made a helpless gesture, and at a renewed call, went indoors.

She fell to the floor in helpless, shrieking laughter when he came.

But she could not get her mother's feeling of him as a helpless, dependent thing.

Nay, we must carry on and play the part of the helpless merchant.

helpless

Word Origin and History for helpless

adj.

Origin of helpless