hopeless
HOHP-lihs
Hopeless (adj) means Without hope; expecting nothing good to happen. Example: “He felt hopeless after losing his job for the third time.”
adj
1
Without hope; expecting nothing good to happen.
"He felt hopeless after losing his job for the third time."
"The situation seemed hopeless until help arrived."
"After months of rejections, she felt hopeless and stopped sending out applications."
2
Offering no chance of a good result; desperate.
"It was a hopeless attempt to fix the old engine."
"Trying to catch the last train with two minutes left was hopeless."
"The doctor admitted that the plan to save the old tree was hopeless."
3
Completely lacking skill or ability at something.
"I'm hopeless at remembering names."
"My brother is hopeless at cooking and burns even toast."
"She says she is hopeless with directions, so she always uses a map."
How to use hopeless
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishWithout any hope — or, informally, just very bad at something.
Common pairings
hopeless case
hopeless at something
feel hopeless
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Word forms
- Comparative
- more hopeless
- Superlative
- most hopeless
Fill the gap
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He felt _____ after losing his job for the third time.
Etymology
From hope + -less ("without").
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for hopeless
useless
ageless
wireless
homeless
tireless
careless
lifeless
baseless
clueless
timeless
loveless
nameless
See all rhymes for hopeless →
Frequently asked questions
What does “hopeless” mean?
The word “hopeless” means without hope; expecting nothing good to happen. In plain terms, without any hope — or, informally, just very bad at something.
How do you pronounce “hopeless”?
“Hopeless” is pronounced HOHP-lihs (/ˈhoʊplɪs/ in IPA).
How do you use “hopeless” in a sentence?
Here is “hopeless” used in a sentence: “He felt hopeless after losing his job for the third time.”
What is another word for “hopeless”?
Words with a similar meaning to “hopeless” include desperate, unhopeful and forlorn.
What is the opposite of “hopeless”?
The opposite of “hopeless” — its antonyms — is hopeful.
What part of speech is “hopeless”?
“Hopeless” is an adjective.
Is “hopeless” a common word?
“Hopeless” is an uncommon word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.
How many meanings does “hopeless” have?
“Hopeless” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: without hope; expecting nothing good to happen.
What is the difference between hopeless and helpless?
Hopeless means expecting nothing good to happen or offering no chance of a good result, while helpless means unable to help or protect oneself. A situation can be hopeless without a person being helpless, and vice versa.
What does it mean to be 'hopeless at' something?
Being 'hopeless at' something means completely lacking skill or ability at that activity, such as being hopeless at cooking or hopeless at sports.
What is the difference between hopeless and pointless?
Hopeless suggests a situation offers no realistic chance of a good outcome, while pointless suggests an action or effort has no purpose or benefit at all, even if success were possible.
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