Words / B1

HELPL-uh-s/ˈhelpləs/

Helpless means unable to protect yourself or to act usefully: feel helpless; helpless to + verb. Helplessness is the noun. Powerless is a close twin. Helpful is almost an opposite. Do not call a quiet person helpless. Blackouts: residents felt helpless when lifts failed.

Meaning

Unable to protect yourself or to act usefully.

Examples

• “Residents felt helpless when the lifts failed during the blackout.”
• “Staff were helpless to stop the flooding without pumps.”

Good to know

feel helpless; helpless to + verb. Noun: helplessness. Close: powerless. Opposite flavour: helpful. Infrastructure failures.

Near in meaning

powerless

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