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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.

Iran is being pounded by two powers whose aircraft it is powerless to stop.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 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

All those moving parts for a player who only made it onto the park as a sub fielder while Australia were still mathematically alive, with Smith powerless to stop Sri Lanka and Pathum Nissanka's charge.

From BBC • Feb. 18, 2026

"He is profoundly sorry that powerless and vulnerable women and girls were not given the protection they deserved."

From BBC • Feb. 7, 2026

I wanted to prevent things from getting out of control but felt powerless to do anything.

From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson

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.