defencelessdefenselessadj.
/dᵻˈfɛnsləs/, U.S. /dəˈfɛnsləs/, /diˈfɛnsləs/ 1. That is without a defence or defences; unprotected, unguarded.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > harm or detriment > danger > [adjective] > exposed to danger > vulnerable > unprotected
nakedeOE
openeOE
yemelesc897
bare1297
unarmed1297
berghlessa1325
subjectc1384
undefensablec1412
unfencible1513
defenceless1532
wide open?1544
undefended1564
unfended1576
indefensive1586
undefensive1587
fenceless1594
unprotected1597
undefensible1616
unscreened1648
defendless1738
uncovereda1795
screenless1837
undefendable1938
1532 Remedy of Love in Wks. G. Chaucer f. ccclxviiv/2 Of her disceyte vnware and defencelesse.
1589 W. Warner Albions Eng. (new ed.) v. xxvi. 116 King Dermote..Was left defencelesse..And fled to England.
1619 F. Beaumont & J. Fletcher Maides Trag. iv. sig. I4 Thou hast charmd my sword Out of my hand, and left me shaking here Defencelesse.
1667 J. Milton Paradise Lost x. 815 That fear Comes thundring back with dreadful revolution On my defensless head. View more context for this quotation
1713 London Gaz. No. 5149/3 It is a Place entirely Defenceless.
1782 H. More Belshazzar ii. 174 The mountain dews Fell, cold and wet, on his defenceless head.
1841 G. Borrow Zincali I. i. xi. 50 To attack or even murder the unarmed and defenceless traveller.
1890 D. Nasmith Outl. Rom. Hist. from Romulus to Justinian x. 126 The city was left defenceless.
1932 J. W. Campbell in Wonder Stories Apr. 1249/1 The lifeless, defenseless ship careened on through space.
1976 Jrnl. Illinois State Hist. Soc. 69 58/1 The right flank of Howard's corps was defenceless and easily assailable.
2012 Independent 23 July 16/1 Another violent policeman has got away with an unprovoked attack on a defenceless and innocent man.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > harm or detriment > danger > [adjective] > exposed to danger > vulnerable > not affording shelter or protection
succourless1601
unsheltering1614
defenceless1694
shelterless1769
1694 J. Dryden tr. Virgil Georgics iii, in Ann. Misc. 55 Defenceless [L. frustra defensa] was the shelter of the ground.
Derivatives
deˈfencelessly adv.
ΚΠ
1762 C. Johnstone Reverie I. xv. 192 Lay him constantly and defencelessly open.
1837 Fraser's Mag. July 119/1 Undisciplined bodies of infantry would..be handed over, defencelessly, to the fire of musketry or artillery.
1927 Times Lit. Suppl. 10 Feb. 82/2 A helpless and bereaved family, defencelessly exploited and preyed upon.
2013 J. Cook Byron Easy vii. 384 Something about her snoring there defencelessly made me suddenly paternal.
deˈfencelessness n.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > harm or detriment > danger > [noun] > liability to harm, loss, etc. > action or condition of exposure to harm > unprotectedness
nakednessa1586
openness1587
exposedness1620
obviousness1669
defencelessness1683
unguardedness1818
unprotectedness1819
fencelessness1856
1683 L. Milbourne Samaritanism Reviv'd 12 The present Openness and Defencelesness of their Condition made every Idle Rumour terrible to them.
1796 J. Stanford Christian's Pocket Libr. I. 262 Lambs.., from their..defencelessness, are equally descriptive of those young converts whom Peter was commanded to feed.
1824 M. R. Mitford Our Village I. 13 His unprotectedness, his utter defencelessness, have an irresistible claim on every better feeling.
1910 F. L. Paxon Last Amer. Frontier xv. 243 Agents of the South passed among the tribes, inciting them to outbreak by pointing out..the defencelessness of the frontier.
2015 Taranaki (N.Z.) Daily News (Nexis) 14 July 6 Sometimes a child's defencelessness has fatal consequences.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2016; most recently modified version published online June 2022).
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adj.1532