Helplessness Meaning
/ˈhɛlplɪsnɪs/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
nounThe state of being helpless.
nounA feeling of inadequacy or impotence.
Sentence Examples
We will have to get over the feeling of helplessness.
Some speculators take advantage of the ignorance and helplessness of old people.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
None
CEFR Practice Quiz
Feeling of ____ overcame him when he couldn't escape the fire.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
He felt a sense of ____ as he watched the fire destroy his home, unable to do anything to stop it.
Word Origin & History
From helpless + -ness.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"From the most ancient times to the present, in the crudest primitive tribe or the most magnificently ornamented civilization, man has found himself in a state of awed helplessness when confronted by the phenomena of strange illnesses or aberrations."
— 1950, L. Ron Hubbard, Dianetics, New Era Publications, published 1999, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 10:
"ADAM: 'You are faced with overwhelming power. Accept your helplessness.'"
— 2021 October 8, Metroid Dread, Nintendo, Nintendo Switch, scene: Adam Briefing, level/area: Cataris:
"Captain Edward Carlisle, soldier as he was, martinet as he was, felt a curious sensation of helplessness seize upon him as he met her steady gaze, her alluring smile ; he could not tell what this prisoner might do."
— 1910, Emerson Hough, chapter I, in The Purchase Price: Or The Cause of Compromise, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
Feeling of ____ overcame him when he couldn't escape the fire.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
He felt a sense of ____ as he watched the fire destroy his home, unable to do anything to stop it.