Standard Lemma guide

helpless

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
  • French: impuissant — lacking help; powerless
  • Hungarian: tehetetlen — lacking help; powerless
  • Norwegian Bokmål: hjelpeløs — lacking help; powerless
  • Spanish: impotente — lacking help; powerless
  • Bengali: অসহায় (ośohaẏ) — unable to act without help; needing help; feeble
  • Chinese Mandarin: 無助的 /无助的 (wúzhù) — unable to act without help; needing help; feeble
  • Finnish: avuton — unable to act without help; needing help; feeble
  • French: désemparé — unable to act without help; needing help; feeble
  • Hindi: असहाय (ashāy) — unable to act without help; needing help; feeble
  • Hindi: अशक्त (aśakt) — unable to act without help; needing help; feeble
  • Hungarian: magatehetetlen — unable to act without help; needing help; feeble
  • Hungarian: gyámoltalan — unable to act without help; needing help; feeble
  • Japanese: 無力な (muryoku na) — unable to act without help; needing help; feeble
  • Korean: 무력하다 (muryeokhada) — unable to act without help; needing help; feeble
  • Māori: mohemohe — unable to act without help; needing help; feeble
  • Māori: paraheahea — unable to act without help; needing help; feeble
  • Norwegian Bokmål: hjelpeløs — unable to act without help; needing help; feeble
  • Russian: беспо́мощный (bespómoščnyj) — unable to act without help; needing help; feeble
  • Russian: не́мощный (némoščnyj) — unable to act without help; needing help; feeble
  • Spanish: incapaz — unable to act without help; needing help; feeble
  • Spanish: desvalido — unable to act without help; needing help; feeble
  • Ukrainian: безпора́дний (bezporádnyj) — unable to act without help; needing help; feeble
  • Ukrainian: безпо́мічний (bezpómičnyj) — unable to act without help; needing help; feeble
  • Ukrainian: безси́лий (bezsýlyj) — unable to act without help; needing help; feeble
Real reading context

helpless in complete knowledge articles