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Synonyms

powerless

American  
[pou-er-lis] / ˈpaʊ ər lɪs /

adjective

  1. unable to produce an effect.

    a disease against which modern medicine is virtually powerless.
    Synonyms:
    ineffective

  2. lacking power pow power to act; helpless.

    His legs crumpled, and he was powerless to rise.
    Synonyms:
    infirm, prostrate, impotent, feeble
powerless British  
/ ˈpaʊəlɪs /

adjective

  1. without power or authority

"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

Other Word Forms

  • powerlessly adverb
  • powerlessness noun

Etymology

Origin of powerless

First recorded in 1545–55; power + -less

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.

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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.

But he was again declared unfit to face criminal proceedings - leaving courts powerless to take his licence away.

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026

"It was very distressing, I was losing sleep and just feeling so powerless," she said.

From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026

Their main task will be to develop a plan towards reforming a WTO that has proven to be powerless in the face of rising protectionism and largely incapable of negotiating new agreements.

From Barron's • Mar. 20, 2026

Outside of a single playoff victory 15 years ago, the Jets were powerless to stop the Belichick and Brady dynasty that produced six Super Bowl wins.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 29, 2026

Her lips move the whole time as if she were doing her usual sullen, under-her-breath grumbling, but Yoyo knows she is casting a spell that will leave the men powerless, becalmed.

From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez

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.