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helplessness

noun

  1. negative or depressing feeling of not being able to find a solution to a personal problem
L299294 on Wikidata ↗

Wiktionary

Pronunciation: /ˈhɛlplɪsnɪs/

noun

Etymology: From helpless + -ness.

  1. The state of being helpless.

    Near-synonyms: powerlessness, impotence

    From the most ancient times to the present, in the crudest primitive tribe or the most magnificently ornamented civilization, man has found himself in a state of awed helplessness when confronted by the phenomena of strange illnesses or aberrations.

  2. A feeling of inadequacy or impotence.

    Captain Edward Carlisle, soldier as he was, martinet as he was, felt a curious sensation of helplessness seize upon him as he met her steady gaze, her alluring smile ; he could not tell what this prisoner might do.