Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- adjective Unable to help oneself; powerless or incompetent.
- adjective Lacking support or protection.
- adjective Impossible to control; involuntary.
from The Century Dictionary.
- Incapable of acting without assistance; needing help; incapable of self-support or self-defense; feeble; dependent: as, a helpless babe; a helpless, shiftless fellow.
- Incapable of helping; affording no help; unaiding.
- Beyond help; irremediable.
- Unsupplied; destitute.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- adjective Destitute of help or strength; unable to help or defend one's self; needing help; feeble; weak.
- adjective Beyond help; irremediable.
- adjective obsolete Bringing no help; unaiding.
- adjective rare Unsupplied; destitute; -- with
of .
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- adjective Unable to defend oneself or to act without
help . - adjective
Uncontrollable .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- adjective unable to manage independently
- adjective unable to function; without help
- adjective lacking in or deprived of strength or power
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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As unexpressed, he feels it in what we called a helpless and oppressed way; as expressed, he feels in a way from which this sense of oppression has vanished.
Collingwood's Aesthetics Kemp, Gary 2009
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If we love the creatures of earth, who are so gaily irresponsible, so full of zest, we shall share with them the large-hearted merriment of comradeship, and find that the blessing of the helpless is the key to unlock the world.
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Shall we cease to teach our children that of all covetousness, that which would spoil the helpless is the most revolting?
Rural Hours 1887
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He seemed a forgetful kind of gentleman, and his hands were what I call helpless hands, sir!
My Novel — Complete Edward Bulwer Lytton Lytton 1838
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He seemed a forgetful kind of gentleman, and his hands were what I call helpless hands, sir!
My Novel — Volume 06 Edward Bulwer Lytton Lytton 1838
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He was removed to what they call the helpless ward, where he was well nursed and attended.
Poor Jack Frederick Marryat 1820
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He was removed to what they call the helpless ward, where he was well nursed and attended.
Poor Jack Frederick Marryat 1820
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I say that as a graduate of the University of Virginia who collapses in helpless laughter whenever I hear someone use the term “Virginia gentleman”.
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Attempts at speech result in helpless coughing fits.
missive from the sickbed sfeley 2009
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When they saw what had happened to the waitress, they stared in helpless horror, horrified by the horrific horrendousness of the situation.
Sanguine Pizza 2009
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