1
: lacking protection or support : defenseless
… as helpless as a flock of shepherdless sheep …—
W. H. Mallock
W. H. Mallock2
a
: marked by an inability to act or react
The crowd looked on in helpless horror …—Current Biography
Current Biography
b
: not able to be controlled or restrained
helpless laughter
helplessly
adverb
helplessness
noun
Examples of helpless in a Sentence
The civilians were helpless against their attackers.
Firefighters were helpless against the blaze.
I feel helpless. Isn't there anything I can do?
The crowd was helpless with laughter.
He was helpless with rage.
Recent Examples on the Web
Yet people who casually imagine themselves clocking the president and walking away victorious are clearly not experiencing themselves as helpless.
—Rachel Marsden, Hartford Courant, 16 May 2026
By contrast, the publication of his translation of Kafka in Italian in the spring of 1983 left him feeling empty, helpless, defenseless.
—Literary Hub, 13 May 2026
All the sweeping expansiveness snaps shut with a sudden health crisis for Kristen, its onset signaled with masterful concision in a middle-of-the-night calamity that leaves her helpless.
—Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2026
Now the nations in Europe and Asia that depend on access to the Persian Gulf’s resources are helpless against the loss of energy supplies that are vital to their economic and political stability.
—Robert Kagan, The Atlantic, 10 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for helpless
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Rachel Marsden, Hartford Courant, 16 May 2026
By contrast, the publication of his translation of Kafka in Italian in the spring of 1983 left him feeling empty, helpless, defenseless.
—Literary Hub, 13 May 2026
All the sweeping expansiveness snaps shut with a sudden health crisis for Kristen, its onset signaled with masterful concision in a middle-of-the-night calamity that leaves her helpless.
—Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2026
Now the nations in Europe and Asia that depend on access to the Persian Gulf’s resources are helpless against the loss of energy supplies that are vital to their economic and political stability.
—Robert Kagan, The Atlantic, 10 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for helpless
Cite this Entry
“Helpless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/helpless. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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