| Main Entry: | helpless |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | incapable, incompetent; vulnerable |
Synonyms: |
abandoned, basket-case, debilitated, defenseless, dependent, destitute, disabled, exposed, feeble, forlorn, forsaken, friendless, handcuffed, impotent, inefficient, inexpert, infirm, invalid, over a barrel, paralyzed, pinned, powerless, prostrate, shiftless, tapped, tapped out, unable, unfit, unprotected, up creek without paddle, weak, with hands tied |
Antonyms: |
able, capable, competent, enterprising, independent, resourceful, skilled, strong |
| Main Entry: | clumsy |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | not agile; awkward |
Synonyms: |
all thumbs, blundering, blunderous, bulky, bumbling, bungling, butterfingered, clownish, crude, elephantine, gauche, gawkish, gawky, graceless, ham-handed, heavy, heavy-handed, helpless, hulking, ill-shaped, incompetent, inelegant, inept, inexperienced, inexpert, lubberly, lumbering, lumpish, maladroit, oafish, ponderous, splay, stumbling, unable, unadept, uncoordinated, uncouth, undexterous, uneasy, ungainly, unhandy, unskillful, untactful, untalented, untoward, unwieldy, weedy |
Antonyms: |
adroit, agile, athletic, clever, coordinated, couth, dexterous, expert, graceful |
| Main Entry: | defenseless |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | powerless, vulnerable |
Synonyms: |
caught, endangered, exposed, hands tied, helpless, in line of fire, indefensible, like a clay pigeon, like a sitting duck, naked*, on the line, on the spot, open, out on limb, pigeon, poor, unarmed, unguarded, unprotected, up the creek, weak, wide open |
Antonyms: |
powerful, strong |
| Main Entry: | disabled |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | incapacitated |
Synonyms: |
broken-down, confined, decrepit, disarmed, hamstrung, handicapped, helpless, hurt, incapable, infirm, laid-up, lame, maimed, out-of-action, out-of-commission, paralyzed, powerless, run-down, sidelined, stalled, weakened, worn-out, wounded, wrecked |
Antonyms: |
able, healthy |
| Main Entry: | downtrodden |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | afflicted, abused |
Synonyms: |
a slave to, abject, at one's beck and call, at one's feet, at one's mercy, destitute, distressed, exploited, have-not, helpless, in one's clutches, in one's pocket, in one's power, led by the nose, maltreated, mistreated, needy, oppressed, overcome, persecuted, subjugated, subservient, suppressed, tyrannized, under one's thumb, underdog*, underfoot |
Antonyms: |
happy, respected, satisfied |
| Main Entry: | feeble |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | not strong; ineffective |
Synonyms: |
aged, ailing, chicken*, debilitated, decrepit, delicate, doddering, dopey, effete, emasculated, enervated, enfeebled, etiolated, exhausted, failing, faint, flabby, flat, fragile, frail, gentle, helpless, impotent, inadequate, incompetent, indecisive, ineffectual, inefficient, infirm, insubstantial, insufficient, lame, languid, low, out of gas, paltry, poor, powerless, puny, sapless, sickly, slight, strengthless, tame, thin, unconvincing, vitiated, weak, weakened, weakly, wimpy, woozy, zero* |
Antonyms: |
able, effective, hardy, healthy, hearty, powerful, solid, sound, strong |
| Main Entry: | forlorn |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | hopeless, inconsolable |
Synonyms: |
abandoned, alone, bereft, blue*, cheerless, comfortless, cynical, defenseless, depressed, deserted, desolate, despairing, desperate, despondent, destitute, destroyed, disconsolate, down and out, dragging, forgotten, forsaken, friendless, fruitless, futile, godforsaken, helpless, homeless, in the dumps, lonely, lonesome, lost, miserable, oppressed, pathetic, pessimistic, pitiable, pitiful, solitary, tragic, unhappy, vain, weighed down, woebegone, wretched |
| Notes: | lonely adds to solitary a suggestion of longing for companionship, while lonesome heightens the suggestion of sadness; forlorn and desolate are even more isolated and sad |
Antonyms: |
cheerful, comforted, consolable, happy, hopeful, joyful, pleased |
| Main Entry: | hopeless |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | futile, pessimistic |
Synonyms: |
bad, beyond recall, cynical, dejected, demoralized, despairing, desperate, despondent, disconsolate, discouraging, downhearted, fatal, forlorn, gone*, goner, helpless, ill-fated, impossible, impracticable, in despair, incurable, irredeemable, irreparable, irreversible, irrevocable, lost, menacing, no-win, past hope, pointless, sad, shot down, sinister, sunk, threatening, tragic, unachievable, unavailing, unfortunate, unmitigable, up the creek, useless, vain, woebegone, worsening |
Antonyms: |
auspicious, bright, encouraging, expectant, hopeful, optimistic, promising, propitious, rosy |
| Main Entry: | impotent |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | disabled; unable to perform action |
Synonyms: |
barren, crippled, dud, effete, enervated, enfeebled, feeble, forceless, frail, gutless, helpless, inadequate, incapable, incapacitated, incompetent, ineffective, ineffectual, inept, infecund, infirm, nerveless, paper tiger, paralyzed, powerless, prostrate, sterile, unfruitful, unproductive, weak |
Antonyms: |
able, capable, fertile, potent, productive, strong |
| Main Entry: | incapacitated |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | disabled |
Synonyms: |
bedridden, broken-down, confined, crippled, debilitated, handicapped, helpless, hurt, immobilized, impaired, impotent, incapable, infirm, laid-up, lame, maimed, out of commission, out-of-action, paralyzed, powerless, sidelined, weak, weakened, wornout |