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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hapless
Gary Riley’s most recognizable film role is Charlie Hogan, Billy’s hapless accomplice in Stand by Me.
—
Sezin Devi Koehler September 1, EW.com, 1 Sep. 2025
In Honey Don’t, Honey finishes beating up one in a long string of men who are hapless, cruel, or both.
—Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 26 Aug. 2025
This is what hapless President Joe Biden suggested back in 2022 before Russia, in an outward act of aggression, invaded Ukraine.
—Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 21 Aug. 2025
Unfortunately, the bird refused to budge, leaving the hapless ginger feline clinging for dear life to the upper rafters of the umbrella, stretched out and facing a painful descent.
—Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hapless
Sezin Devi Koehler September 1, EW.com, 1 Sep. 2025
In Honey Don’t, Honey finishes beating up one in a long string of men who are hapless, cruel, or both.
—Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 26 Aug. 2025
This is what hapless President Joe Biden suggested back in 2022 before Russia, in an outward act of aggression, invaded Ukraine.
—Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 21 Aug. 2025
Unfortunately, the bird refused to budge, leaving the hapless ginger feline clinging for dear life to the upper rafters of the umbrella, stretched out and facing a painful descent.
—Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hapless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hapless
Adjective
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Therefore, there are some unfortunate parallels between young Gen Z needing to sacrifice wages due to wavering job opportunities and millennials graduating into the Great Recession.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
16 Sep. 2025
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In today's volatile business climate, layoffs have become an unfortunate reality across industries.—
Caroline Castrillon,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Kybella can be used as an alternative to surgery for patients who are unhappy with fat under their chin, also known as submental fullness, and have not seen improvement with diet and exercise, according to the manufacturers.—
Alyssa Goldberg,
USA Today,
18 Sep. 2025
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Folks felt exposed or excluded or some unhappy combination of both.—
Andrew Pasquier,
Them.,
18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Vasyanovych plays Roman, a luckless director who’s out of work and trying to shoot his latest film in a country whose dwindling population is still traumatized by the war.—
Christopher Vourlias,
Variety,
6 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hapless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hapless. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
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