adj · 8 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
/ˈhɛlplɪs/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:HH EH1 L P L AH0 S
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Unable to defend oneself.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Lacking help; powerless.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adj
Meaning 3
Unable to act without help; needing help; feeble.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
adj
Meaning 4
Uncontrollable.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
a helpless urge
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
adj
Meaning 5
From which there is no possibility of being saved.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
adjective satellite
Meaning 6
unable to manage independently
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
as helpless as a baby
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
adjective satellite
Meaning 7
unable to function; without help
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: lost
Antonyms: none provided
8
adjective satellite
Meaning 8
lacking in or deprived of strength or power
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
lying ill and helpless
helpless with laughter
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: incapacitated
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From Middle English helples, from Old English *helplēas (“helpless”) from Proto-Germanic *helpōlausaz, equivalent to help + -less. Compare Dutch hulpeloos (“helpless”), German hilflos (“helpless”), Danish hjælpeløs (“helpless”) and Swedish hjälplös (“helpless”).
Across languages
Translations
89 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
عَاجِز
(ʕājiz)
— unable to defend oneself — see also defenseless
Belarusian:
бездапамо́жны
(bjezdapamóžny)
— unable to defend oneself — see also defenseless
Belarusian:
бяспо́мачны
(bjaspómačny)
— unable to defend oneself — see also defenseless
Belarusian:
бяссі́льны
(bjassílʹny)
— unable to defend oneself — see also defenseless
Bengali:
অক্ষম
(okkhom)
— unable to defend oneself — see also defenseless
Bengali:
লাচার
(lacar)
— unable to defend oneself — see also defenseless
Bengali:
নাচার
(nacar)
— unable to defend oneself — see also defenseless
Bulgarian:
безпо́мощен
(bezpómošten)
— unable to defend oneself — see also defenseless
Bulgarian:
безси́лен
(bezsílen)
— unable to defend oneself — see also defenseless
Catalan:
indefens
— unable to defend oneself — see also defenseless
Chinese Mandarin:
無助的 /无助的
(wúzhù)
— unable to defend oneself — see also defenseless
Chinese Mandarin:
無力的 /无力的
(wúlì de)
— unable to defend oneself — see also defenseless
Czech:
bezmocný
— unable to defend oneself — see also defenseless
Czech:
bezradný
— unable to defend oneself — see also defenseless
Danish:
hjælpeløs
— unable to defend oneself — see also defenseless
Dutch:
hulpeloos
— unable to defend oneself — see also defenseless
Esperanto:
senhelpa
— unable to defend oneself — see also defenseless
Finnish:
avuton
— unable to defend oneself — see also defenseless
French:
sans défense
— unable to defend oneself — see also defenseless
West-Frisian:
helpleas
— unable to defend oneself — see also defenseless
Georgian:
უმწეო
(umc̣eo)
— unable to defend oneself — see also defenseless
German:
hilflos
— unable to defend oneself — see also defenseless
Greek:
αβοήθητος
(avoḯthitos)
— unable to defend oneself — see also defenseless
Hindi:
विवश
(vivaś)
— unable to defend oneself — see also defenseless
Hindi:
असहाय
(ashāy)
— unable to defend oneself — see also defenseless
Hindi:
अशक्त
(aśakt)
— unable to defend oneself — see also defenseless
Hungarian:
kiszolgáltatott
— unable to defend oneself — see also defenseless
Hungarian:
védtelen
— unable to defend oneself — see also defenseless
Ido:
senhelpa
— unable to defend oneself — see also defenseless
Igbo:
enweghị enyemaka
— unable to defend oneself — see also defenseless
Irish:
fágtha
— unable to defend oneself — see also defenseless
Italian:
indifeso
— unable to defend oneself — see also defenseless
Japanese:
無力な
(muryoku na)
— unable to defend oneself — see also defenseless
Khmer:
ដែលឥតអនុភាព
(dael ət a’nu’phiep)
— unable to defend oneself — see also defenseless
Korean:
무력하다
(muryeokhada)
— unable to defend oneself — see also defenseless
Central Kurdish:
ناچار
(naçar)
— unable to defend oneself — see also defenseless
Central Kurdish:
بێ دەسەڵات
(bê desellat)
— unable to defend oneself — see also defenseless
Latin:
inops
— unable to defend oneself — see also defenseless
Macedonian:
беспомошен
(bespomošen)
— unable to defend oneself — see also defenseless
Macedonian:
немоќен
(nemoḱen)
— unable to defend oneself — see also defenseless
Malagasy:
afa-manoatra
— unable to defend oneself — see also defenseless
Maltese:
hilflose
— unable to defend oneself — see also defenseless
Māori:
paraheahea
— unable to defend oneself — see also defenseless
Norwegian Bokmål:
hjelpeløs
— unable to defend oneself — see also defenseless
Plautdietsch:
halplooss
— unable to defend oneself — see also defenseless
Polish:
bezradny
— unable to defend oneself — see also defenseless
Polish:
bezsilny
— unable to defend oneself — see also defenseless
Polish:
bezbronny
— unable to defend oneself — see also defenseless
Portuguese:
indefeso
— unable to defend oneself — see also defenseless
Romanian:
neajutorat
— unable to defend oneself — see also defenseless
Russian:
беспо́мощный
(bespómoščnyj)
— unable to defend oneself — see also defenseless
Russian:
бесси́льный
(bessílʹnyj)
— unable to defend oneself — see also defenseless
Serbo-Croatian:
бе̏спомоћан
— unable to defend oneself — see also defenseless
Serbo-Croatian:
bȅspomoćan
— unable to defend oneself — see also defenseless
Slovak:
bezmocný
— unable to defend oneself — see also defenseless
Slovak:
bezradný
— unable to defend oneself — see also defenseless
Slovene:
nemočni
— unable to defend oneself — see also defenseless
Spanish:
indefenso
— unable to defend oneself — see also defenseless
Spanish:
desamparado
— unable to defend oneself — see also defenseless
Swedish:
hjälplös
— unable to defend oneself — see also defenseless
Turkish:
âciz
— unable to defend oneself — see also defenseless
Ukrainian:
безпо́мічний
(bezpómičnyj)
— unable to defend oneself — see also defenseless
Ukrainian:
безси́лий
(bezsýlyj)
— unable to defend oneself — see also defenseless
Urdu:
بے بس
(be bas)
— unable to defend oneself — see also defenseless
Urdu:
مَجبُور
(majbūr)
— unable to defend oneself — see also defenseless