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helplessness

helplessness

25 3.8
A feeling of being unable to help yourself or change a situation
  • noun
  • /ˈhɛlpləsnəs/
translation icon : indefensión
  • When faced with the disaster, she was overwhelmed by a sense of helplessness as she couldn't change the situation.
  • learned helplessness
  • feeling of helplessness
  • sense of helplessness

The problem is when that helplessness leads to hopelessness.

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Examples

  • And they seem to have a profound sense of helplessness about their future.

  • It's something about the helplessness of seeing a loved one acting very out of character.

  • That sense of helplessness to me is the worst feeling in the world.

  • And then she had this look of helplessness.

  • That helplessness you feel when you have no talent to offer, outside of loving your husband.

  • I'd only felt such helplessness once before.

  • The problem is when that helplessness leads to hopelessness.

  • It's the feeling of utter helplessness.

  • Some felt a sense of debilitating helplessness that made everyday life difficult to endure.

    Academic text (2008)
  • Rachel shook her head with a helplessness that was almost jarringly out of character.

    Fiction book (1998)

Synonyms

inability
vshelplessness
177 2.8

Not able to do something you need to do

is the emotional sense of being unable to help or change things
weakness
vshelplessness
133 1.4

Lack of physical or mental strength that makes someone less able to act

is more about feeling unable to help than simple lack of strength
powerlessness
vshelplessness
9 5.8

A feeling of being unable to control or change what happens

is the personal feeling of being unable to change your situation
incapacity
vshelplessness
9 5.4

Not able to do things because your body or mind does not work well

is the felt inability to change things rather than a physical limitation
incapability
vshelplessness
1 6.0

Not being able to do something because you lack the ability

is the feeling of being unable to improve a personal situation
defenselessness
vshelplessness
  • US
1 6.3

Not being able to protect yourself from harm or attack

is about feeling unable to change general situations not only to avoid harm
impuissance
vshelplessness
  • Literature
9.9

A feeling of being unable to change things

is the subjective feeling of being unable to change a situation
incapableness
vshelplessness
7.4

A lack of ability to do something

is the subjective sense of being unable to change a situation

Antonyms

49 3.9

The process of becoming stronger, more confident, and able to make choices

Being able to meet your own needs without help from others

How Able

power
3.4
competence
69 4.1
ability
1.0
helplessness
25 3.8
inability
177 2.8

Surface Forms

helplessness singular

Morphology

helplessness = helpless (transparent) = help + less + ness

The adjective 'helpless' (help + -less) clearly takes the noun-forming suffix '-ness', producing a directly derived state noun.

Etymology

Helplessness breaks into help ('to give help'), -less ('without') and -ness ('a state'). So it literally means 'the state of being without help', which is why it describes the feeling of not being able to do anything to change a situation.