powerless

[pou-er-lis]

See more 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.

Origin of powerless

First recorded in 1545–55; power + -less

Related formspow·er·less·ly, adverbpow·er·less·ness, noun

Synonyms

See more synonyms for powerless on Thesaurus.com

1. ineffective. 2. feeble, impotent, prostrate, infirm.

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

Examples from the Web for powerless

Contemporary Examples

He had been scared and powerless to protect himself, and Moscow had been silent.
How the Fall of the Berlin Wall Radicalized Putin
Masha Gessen
November 9, 2014
Unable to make it to a hospital, or too afraid, parents are dying at home alongside kids who are powerless to save them.
Liberia’s Ebola Orphans
Abby Haglage
October 14, 2014
Hanifa and her father and mother and brother spent 10 days on the mountain, fearing for the girls, but powerless to help them.
Hanifa's Story: Her Five Sisters Taken by ISIS to Be Sold or Worse
Christine van den Toorn
August 19, 2014
Mayor Ben West met them there, and repeated his usual explanation of how the city was powerless to change segregation.
Why We’ll Always Need a Civil Rights Movement
Sally Kohn
July 15, 2014
The Bill of Rights, and especially the First Amendment, were intended to protect the powerless from the tyranny of the powerful.
The Supreme Court Turns the First Amendment Into a Weapon for Corporations
Sally Kohn
July 8, 2014

Historical Examples

The old woman echoed the cry; but there were none to hear it, and she was powerless to aid.
The Channings
Mrs. Henry Wood
I took the knife from her powerless hand, and she fainted in my arms.
Tales And Novels, Volume 8 (of 10)
Maria Edgeworth
With all his powers of intellect, he was powerless, because he had no faith in virtue.
Self-Help
Samuel Smiles
Within the circle of their light the poison of serpents and worms is powerless.
The Chinese Fairy Book
Various
To my eyes the sun seemed dim, its beams were powerless to warm me.
A Hero of Our Time
M. Y. Lermontov

British Dictionary definitions for powerless

powerless

adjective

without power or authority

Derived Formspowerlessly, 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

Word Origin and History for powerless

adj.

early 15c., "lacking might or fortitude," from power (n.) + -less. Related: Powerlessly; powerlessness.

powerless

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;}}powerless

Synonyms

Examples from the Web for powerless

Contemporary Examples

He had been scared and powerless to protect himself, and Moscow had been silent.

Unable to make it to a hospital, or too afraid, parents are dying at home alongside kids who are powerless to save them.

Hanifa and her father and mother and brother spent 10 days on the mountain, fearing for the girls, but powerless to help them.

Mayor Ben West met them there, and repeated his usual explanation of how the city was powerless to change segregation.

The Bill of Rights, and especially the First Amendment, were intended to protect the powerless from the tyranny of the powerful.

Historical Examples

The old woman echoed the cry; but there were none to hear it, and she was powerless to aid.

I took the knife from her powerless hand, and she fainted in my arms.

With all his powers of intellect, he was powerless, because he had no faith in virtue.

Within the circle of their light the poison of serpents and worms is powerless.

To my eyes the sun seemed dim, its beams were powerless to warm me.

powerless

Word Origin and History for powerless

adj.

Origin of powerless