adjective
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unable to manage independently
-
made powerless or weak
they were helpless from so much giggling
-
without help
Other Word Forms
- helplessly adverb
- helplessness noun
Etymology
Origin of helpless
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.
Many of our children’s favorite apps and social-media sites were built from the ground up to keep young users hooked and helpless to look away, consequences to their health and well-being be damned.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 27, 2026
"I can't imagine how helpless people must have been," she said between heavy sighs, adding: "I really regret that I didn't knock on a single door."
From Barron's • Mar. 24, 2026
She said the duo were so helpless by this point that they did not even try to move when being lifted out and placed in a cardboard box.
From BBC • Feb. 18, 2026
The player known as “JSN” left most defenses helpless and finished the season with 1,793 receiving yards, the eighth highest total in a single season.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 5, 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.
