as in unfortunate
having, prone to, or marked by bad luck
the hapless motorist had barely paid his bill and driven away from the body shop when a truck sideswiped his car
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hapless
Though mean-spirited, the jester Rigoletto — Verdi’s hapless, vengeful hunchback — wins our hearts as the outsider whom a heartless world so often abuses.
—
Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2025
Only one team, the hapless Rockies, is averaging fewer runs per game than the Royals.
—Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 2 June 2025
The Mets beat the hapless Rockies, 4-2, on Friday night at Citi Field as Colorado continued to make the worst kind of history.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 30 May 2025
Thematically and visually, Annihilation resembles the strange atmosphere of Elden Ring, which contains many hostile landscapes, grotesque human-animal hybrids and otherworldly gods that drive the hapless inhabitants of The Lands Between insane.
—Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for hapless
Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2025
Only one team, the hapless Rockies, is averaging fewer runs per game than the Royals.
—Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 2 June 2025
The Mets beat the hapless Rockies, 4-2, on Friday night at Citi Field as Colorado continued to make the worst kind of history.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 30 May 2025
Thematically and visually, Annihilation resembles the strange atmosphere of Elden Ring, which contains many hostile landscapes, grotesque human-animal hybrids and otherworldly gods that drive the hapless inhabitants of The Lands Between insane.
—Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for hapless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hapless
Adjective
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An unfortunate series of events in the eighth inning led to the Brewers going up 3-1.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 June 2025
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The polished old pro bent time and space, keeping the unfortunate new work to a minimum and running through his hits, reliving, nearly chronologically, the thrill of experiencing his catalog all over again at a speed run.—
Abe Beame,
Rolling Stone,
7 June 2025
Adjective
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Additionally, the more fiscally conservative Senate is increasingly unhappy with the cost of the bill, which is estimated to add $3.1 trillion to the deficit over the next decade.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
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Trump is unhappy with Musk’s outburst, but Republicans are downplaying the effect on their agenda bill Trump confirmed their relationship has soured, with Musk repeatedly blasting the president’s sweeping domestic agenda bill in recent days and a public fight on social media on Thursday.—
Matt Egan,
CNN Money,
6 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hapless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hapless. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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