powerless

[ pou-er-lis ]
See synonyms for: powerlesspowerlesslypowerlessness on Thesaurus.com

adjective
  1. unable to produce an effect: a disease against which modern medicine is virtually powerless.

  2. lacking power to act; helpless: His legs crumpled, and he was powerless to rise.

Origin of powerless

1
First recorded in 1545–55; power + -less

Other words for powerless

Other words from powerless

  • pow·er·less·ly, adverb
  • pow·er·less·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use powerless in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for powerless

powerless

/ (ˈpaʊəlɪs) /


adjective
  1. without power or authority

Derived forms of powerless

  • powerlessly, adverb
  • powerlessness, 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