adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of powerless
Explanation
Powerless means lacking strength, ability, or authority. If nothing you do stops your dog from barking, you're powerless to make her be quiet. A person who doesn't have the power they need to accomplish something can be described as powerless. A flustered substitute teacher is powerless to silence a chattering classroom, and citizens who don't vote are powerless to change their elected representatives in Congress. Power, "strength or vigor," can be traced back to a root meaning "power" or "lord." When you add the suffix -less, or "lacking," you get powerless.
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.
We observe them lamenting how powerless they feel: Their medical skills can do some good, but not nearly enough.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
He and a co-author used “unpleasant monetarist arithmetic” to show that if people don’t believe their government will eventually raise enough taxes to pay back debt, the central bank can be powerless to stop inflation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
Feeling powerless is grating and interviewing for a new role can increase your sense of control, even if you don’t end up taking it.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026
Lamy said they were probably "powerless" and did not know what to do.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
“Hope is a little lie that the powerless use to comfort themselves.”
From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell
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.
