powerless
adjective
pow·er·less
ˈpau̇(-ə)r-ləs 
1
: devoid of strength or resources
powerless victims
2
: lacking the authority or capacity to act
was powerless to help
powerlessly
adverb
powerlessness
noun
Examples of powerless in a Sentence
I wish I could help you, but I am powerless in this situation.
Recent Examples on the Web
And this was what Navone, the world No. 99 but a game competitor on red clay, was powerless to fend off.
—
Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 13 May 2025
Financial planning is powerless to remedy an unknown illness.
—Tim Maurer, Forbes.com, 11 May 2025
Twain therefore presents a tantalizing challenge for literary biography: to explain how someone able to spot and depict frailties of conscience, character, and judgment in others could be so powerless to correct them in himself.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 9 May 2025
On both sides of Kashmir’s line of control, people feel powerless as their politicians rehash old arguments, potentially reigniting decades of smoldering resentment.
—Nic Robertson, CNN Money, 5 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for powerless
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Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 13 May 2025
Financial planning is powerless to remedy an unknown illness.
—Tim Maurer, Forbes.com, 11 May 2025
Twain therefore presents a tantalizing challenge for literary biography: to explain how someone able to spot and depict frailties of conscience, character, and judgment in others could be so powerless to correct them in himself.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 9 May 2025
On both sides of Kashmir’s line of control, people feel powerless as their politicians rehash old arguments, potentially reigniting decades of smoldering resentment.
—Nic Robertson, CNN Money, 5 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for powerless
Cite this Entry
“Powerless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/powerless. Accessed 16 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
powerless
adjective
pow·er·less
ˈpau̇(-ə)r-ləs
1
: lacking power, force, or energy
2
: lacking authority to act
powerlessly
adverb
powerlessness
noun
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