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
Weaponized incompetence, or the practice of being so helpless that the labor simply falls on someone else, has long been a feature of domestic life.
—Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 1 Apr. 2026
But Lumet and screenwriter Frank Pierson ease up on the laughs as Sonny’s predicament grows more helpless, allowing the audience to feel his desperation as the drama barrels toward a tragic finale.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2026
The helpless and much persecuted turtles were cooked in a rich, creamy soup with chunks of meat.
—James Stout, Outside, 29 Mar. 2026
Operating up top, Hagens fed Gasseau down low on the right side and Gasseau zipped a perfect cross-ice pass to Letourneau, who ripped it past a helpless Muszelik.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 21 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for helpless
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Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 1 Apr. 2026
But Lumet and screenwriter Frank Pierson ease up on the laughs as Sonny’s predicament grows more helpless, allowing the audience to feel his desperation as the drama barrels toward a tragic finale.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2026
The helpless and much persecuted turtles were cooked in a rich, creamy soup with chunks of meat.
—James Stout, Outside, 29 Mar. 2026
Operating up top, Hagens fed Gasseau down low on the right side and Gasseau zipped a perfect cross-ice pass to Letourneau, who ripped it past a helpless Muszelik.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 21 Mar. 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 8 Apr. 2026.
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