Word of the Day: Helpless
It’s easy to make the word “help” into an adjective. Just add the suffix “less” to “help.” A person feels “helpless” if he or she has no control over a situation.
- She feels helpless without her cell phone.
- Ali felt helpless without his wife at home.
- People who don’t know a lot of English sometimes feel helpless in English-speaking countries.
- The man who lay weak and helpless by the side of the road was in need of medical assistance.
You can make this word into a noun by adding yet another suffix, “ness” to make “helplessness.”
- Oliver was overcome by a feeling of helplessness after his father died in a car accident.
- Some people believe that the welfare system in the United States leads to a condition of learned helplessness among those who receive benefits.
Note: The direct opposite of “helpless” is not the word “helpful.” A better opposite adjective might be “powerful” or “strong.”
Essential English Dictionary
Visit the Popular English Words Beginning with H page to see the list of all words starting with letter H. For seeing the HiCafe dictionary, visit the Popular English Words with Meaning page.
