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
Synonyms
Examples of powerless in a Sentence
I wish I could help you, but I am powerless in this situation.
Recent Examples on the Web
Although young victims whose parents don’t want to press charges pose an obstacle, experts said the department was not powerless to protect the public.
—
Ana Claudia Chacin, Miami Herald, 18 Apr. 2024
While those facts are to varying degrees true, many critics have argued that Live Nation’s claims to be powerless to fix the situation — not to mention its involvement in the secondary ticketing market — are disingenuous at best.
—Jem Aswad, Variety, 16 Apr. 2024
When Nemo’s curiosity gets the best of him and he’s captured by a diver, his dear old dad is powerless to save him.
—Chris Snellgrove, EW.com, 16 Apr. 2024
The woman, an 84-year-old San Francisco resident named Helen Gutierrez, had been diagnosed with dementia and was powerless to stop the 19th Street Sureño takeover of her home.
—Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 5 Apr. 2024
In Renaissance Italy, the feeling of being powerless was palpable in many of the letters that women wrote.
—Pragya Agarwal, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Mar. 2024
That’s why power-hungry politicians lust for the powerless office.
—Neal B. Freeman, National Review, 14 Mar. 2024
With the 95,000-ton cargo ship Dali powerless and hurtling helplessly toward the Francis Scott Key Bridge, the harbor pilot commanding the vessel had just minutes to make his last, desperate attempts to avoid disaster.
—Joshua Goodman and Richard Lardner, Quartz, 29 Mar. 2024
The devastation at the site of the collapse, which happened when the powerless cargo ship struck a pillar supporting the bridge early Tuesday, is extensive.
—Lea Skene, Fortune, 28 Mar. 2024
Ana Claudia Chacin, Miami Herald, 18 Apr. 2024
While those facts are to varying degrees true, many critics have argued that Live Nation’s claims to be powerless to fix the situation — not to mention its involvement in the secondary ticketing market — are disingenuous at best.
—Jem Aswad, Variety, 16 Apr. 2024
When Nemo’s curiosity gets the best of him and he’s captured by a diver, his dear old dad is powerless to save him.
—Chris Snellgrove, EW.com, 16 Apr. 2024
The woman, an 84-year-old San Francisco resident named Helen Gutierrez, had been diagnosed with dementia and was powerless to stop the 19th Street Sureño takeover of her home.
—Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 5 Apr. 2024
In Renaissance Italy, the feeling of being powerless was palpable in many of the letters that women wrote.
—Pragya Agarwal, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Mar. 2024
That’s why power-hungry politicians lust for the powerless office.
—Neal B. Freeman, National Review, 14 Mar. 2024
With the 95,000-ton cargo ship Dali powerless and hurtling helplessly toward the Francis Scott Key Bridge, the harbor pilot commanding the vessel had just minutes to make his last, desperate attempts to avoid disaster.
—Joshua Goodman and Richard Lardner, Quartz, 29 Mar. 2024
The devastation at the site of the collapse, which happened when the powerless cargo ship struck a pillar supporting the bridge early Tuesday, is extensive.
—Lea Skene, Fortune, 28 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'powerless.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Powerless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/powerless. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
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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