powerless

[ pou-er-lis ]
/ ˈpaʊ ər lɪs /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR powerless ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

unable to produce an effect: a disease against which modern medicine is virtually powerless.
lacking power to act; helpless: His legs crumpled, and he was powerless to rise.

QUIZZES

DO YOU KNOW THIS VOCABULARY FROM "THE HANDMAID'S TALE"?

"The Handmaid's Tale" was required reading for many of us in school. Everyone else has probably watched the very popular and addictive TV show. Do you remember this vocabulary from the book, and do you know what these terms mean?
Question 1 of 10
decorum
the act of or need for making up one's mind.
dignified propriety of behavior, speech, dress, etc.
a company of singers, especially an organized group employed in church service.
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Origin of powerless

First recorded in 1545–55; power + -less

OTHER WORDS FROM powerless

pow·er·less·ly, adverbpow·er·less·ness, noun

Words nearby powerless

powerboating, powerbroker, powered, powerful, powerhouse, powerless, powerlifting, powers, powers that be, the, powfagged, powhatan
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to powerless

ineffectual, impotent, passive, ineffective, paralyzed, incapable, helpless, defenseless, vulnerable, inert, disenfranchised, blank, chicken, debilitated, dependent, disabled, feeble, frail, gutless, incapacitated

Example sentences from the Web for powerless

British Dictionary definitions for powerless

powerless
/ (ˈpaʊəlɪs) /

adjective

without power or authority

Derived forms of powerless

powerlessly, adverbpowerlessness, 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