adj
powerless
POW-uh-luhs
adj
1
Lacking the strength, authority, or ability to do something.
"Doctors felt powerless to help as the outbreak spread."
"The committee is powerless to change the decision now."
2
Without electrical power.
"Half the city was left powerless after the storm."
How to Use Powerless
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishUnable to act, influence, or control a situation — or, literally, without electricity.
Common pairings
feel powerless
powerless to stop
Word Forms
more powerless comparative, most powerless superlative
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Doctors felt _____ to help as the outbreak spread.
Etymology
Formed from power + the suffix -less, meaning "without".