helplessadj.

Brit.

/ˈhɛlpləs/, U.S.

/ˈhɛlpləs/

Etymology: < help n. + -less suffix.

a. Destitute of help; having no assistance from others; needy. (Of persons, their condition, etc.)

ΘΚΠ

the mind > possession > poverty > [adjective] > poor

havelessOE

unrichOE

waedlec1000

armOE

nakedOE

helplessc1175

wantsomec1175

poora1200

barec1220

needfula1225

misease?c1225

unwealya1300

needyc1325

feeblec1330

poorful1372

mischievousc1390

miseasedc1390

indigentc1400

meanc1400

naughtyc1400

succourless1412

unwealthyc1412

behove1413

misterousa1425

misterfulc1480

miserablec1485

beggarly1545

starved1563

threadbare1577

penurious1590

fortuneless1596

wealthless1605

wantful1607

necessitous1611

inopulent1613

titheless1615

egene1631

starveling1638

necessitated1646

inopious1656

parsimonious1782

unopulent1782

lacking1805

bushed1819

obolary1820

ill-to-do1853

down at heel1856

po'1866

needsome1870

down-at-heeled1884

rocky1921

the world > action or operation > easiness > aid, help, or assistance > [adjective] > aided, helped, or assisted > not

helplessc1175

unholpen1382

unsuccoured1422

unhelpeda1425

unrelievedc1525

unassisted1614

unmanned1622

unaided1667

unhelpless1681

unministereda1744

unmidwifed1747

unlightened1784

c1175 Lamb. Hom. 129 Drihten alesde þene wrechan..þe wes al helples.

c1200 Vices & Virtues (1888) 23 Ðat ðu naked ware and helpleas.

a1500 (a1460) Towneley Plays (1994) I. xx. 241 I will not leyf you all helples, As men withoutten freynd.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Comedy of Errors (1623) i. i. 157 Hopelesse and helpelesse doth Egean wend.

1694 J. Kettlewell Compan. for Persecuted 141 Helper of the Helpless..be thou my Fortress.

1716 A. Pope tr. Homer Iliad II. vi. 513 A Widow I, an helpless Orphan he.

1841 M. Elphinstone Hist. India I. iii. xi. 379 Even to their families when they have left them in a helpless condition.

†b. Destitute (of). Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > possession > non-possession > [adjective] > devoid of something > lacking or without

wane971

quit?c1225

helpless1362

desolatec1386

wantsomea1400

ungirtc1412

voidc1420

wantinga1475

destitutea1500

unfurnished1541

defect1543

bankrupt1567

frustrate1576

wanting1580

wanting1592

sterile1642

minus1807

lacking1838

to be stuck up for1860

short1873

wanting1874

quits1885

light1936

1362 W. Langland Piers Plowman A. viii. 83 Olde men and hore, þat helples beoþ of strengþe.

1685 J. Dryden tr. Lucretius in Sylvæ v. 98 Helpless of all that humane wants require.

2. Having no resources in oneself; unable to help oneself; shiftless. (The ordinary current sense.)

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > ability > inability > [adjective] > lacking resourcefulness

unshifty1570

shiftless1584

boss1599

helpless1620

unshiftable1622

self-helpless1634

foisonless1721

feckless1773

resourceless1787

weirdless1821

hopeless1854

fibreless1864

1620 F. Quarles Jonah in Divine Poems This naked portraiture before thine Eye Is wretched, helplesse man, man born to die.

1667 J. Dryden Annus Mirabilis 1666 cxxx. 33 One dire shot..Close by the boar'd the Prince's Main-mast bore: All three now, helpless, by each other lie.

1807 G. Crabbe Parish Reg. i, in Poems 60 Strange names our Rustics give To helpless infants.

1855 T. B. Macaulay Hist. Eng. III. xvi. 631 Tyrconnel looked on in helpless despair.

1871 R. Ellis tr. Catullus Poems xvii. 18 Helpless as alder Lies, new-fell'd in a ditch.

3. Affording no help; unavailing, unprofitable. (The opposite of helpful.) Now rare.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > easiness > aid, help, or assistance > [adjective] > not

unhelply1408

helpless1593

unhelping1604

unserviceable1614

unhelpfula1616

unassisting1694

unaiding1716

unassistant1796

1593 W. Shakespeare Venus & Adonis sig. E^v As those poore birds that helplesse berries saw.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Comedy of Errors (1623) ii. i. 39 Thou..With vrging helpelesse patience would releeue me.

1733 A. Pope Ess. Man ii. 144 A sharp Accuser, but a helpless Friend.

1858 T. Carlyle Hist. Friedrich II of Prussia II. vii. ii. 153 Incondite dateless helpless Prussian Books.

†4. Admitting no remedy; that cannot be helped.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > easiness > aid, help, or assistance > [adjective] > aided, helped, or assisted > able to be > not

helpless1590

1590 E. Spenser Faerie Queene i. iv. sig. D7 Helplesse hap it booteth not to mone.

1590 E. Spenser Faerie Queene i. vii. sig. G3^v Such helplesse harmes yts better hidden keep.

This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1898; most recently modified version published online June 2022).

单词	helpless
释义	helplessadj. Brit. /ˈhɛlpləs/, U.S. /ˈhɛlpləs/ Etymology: < help n. + -less suffix. 1. a. Destitute of help; having no assistance from others; needy. (Of persons, their condition, etc.) ΘΚΠ the mind > possession > poverty > [adjective] > poor havelessOE unrichOE waedlec1000 armOE nakedOE helplessc1175 wantsomec1175 poora1200 barec1220 needfula1225 misease?c1225 unwealya1300 needyc1325 feeblec1330 poorful1372 mischievousc1390 miseasedc1390 indigentc1400 meanc1400 naughtyc1400 succourless1412 unwealthyc1412 behove1413 misterousa1425 misterfulc1480 miserablec1485 beggarly1545 starved1563 threadbare1577 penurious1590 fortuneless1596 wealthless1605 wantful1607 necessitous1611 inopulent1613 titheless1615 egene1631 starveling1638 necessitated1646 inopious1656 parsimonious1782 unopulent1782 lacking1805 bushed1819 obolary1820 ill-to-do1853 down at heel1856 po'1866 needsome1870 down-at-heeled1884 rocky1921 the world > action or operation > easiness > aid, help, or assistance > [adjective] > aided, helped, or assisted > not helplessc1175 unholpen1382 unsuccoured1422 unhelpeda1425 unrelievedc1525 unassisted1614 unmanned1622 unaided1667 unhelpless1681 unministereda1744 unmidwifed1747 unlightened1784 c1175 Lamb. Hom. 129 Drihten alesde þene wrechan..þe wes al helples. c1200 Vices & Virtues (1888) 23 Ðat ðu naked ware and helpleas. a1500 (a1460) Towneley Plays (1994) I. xx. 241 I will not leyf you all helples, As men withoutten freynd. a1616 W. Shakespeare Comedy of Errors (1623) i. i. 157 Hopelesse and helpelesse doth Egean wend. View more context for this quotation 1694 J. Kettlewell Compan. for Persecuted 141 Helper of the Helpless..be thou my Fortress. 1716 A. Pope tr. Homer Iliad II. vi. 513 A Widow I, an helpless Orphan he. 1841 M. Elphinstone Hist. India I. iii. xi. 379 Even to their families when they have left them in a helpless condition. †b. Destitute (of). Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the mind > possession > non-possession > [adjective] > devoid of something > lacking or without wane971 quit?c1225 helpless1362 desolatec1386 wantsomea1400 ungirtc1412 voidc1420 wantinga1475 destitutea1500 unfurnished1541 defect1543 bankrupt1567 frustrate1576 wanting1580 wanting1592 sterile1642 minus1807 lacking1838 to be stuck up for1860 short1873 wanting1874 quits1885 light1936 1362 W. Langland Piers Plowman A. viii. 83 Olde men and hore, þat helples beoþ of strengþe. 1685 J. Dryden tr. Lucretius in Sylvæ v. 98 Helpless of all that humane wants require. 2. Having no resources in oneself; unable to help oneself; shiftless. (The ordinary current sense.) ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > ability > inability > [adjective] > lacking resourcefulness unshifty1570 shiftless1584 boss1599 helpless1620 unshiftable1622 self-helpless1634 foisonless1721 feckless1773 resourceless1787 weirdless1821 hopeless1854 fibreless1864 1620 F. Quarles Jonah in Divine Poems This naked portraiture before thine Eye Is wretched, helplesse man, man born to die. 1667 J. Dryden Annus Mirabilis 1666 cxxx. 33 One dire shot..Close by the boar'd the Prince's Main-mast bore: All three now, helpless, by each other lie. 1807 G. Crabbe Parish Reg. i, in Poems 60 Strange names our Rustics give To helpless infants. 1855 T. B. Macaulay Hist. Eng. III. xvi. 631 Tyrconnel looked on in helpless despair. 1871 R. Ellis tr. Catullus Poems xvii. 18 Helpless as alder Lies, new-fell'd in a ditch. 3. Affording no help; unavailing, unprofitable. (The opposite of helpful.) Now rare. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > easiness > aid, help, or assistance > [adjective] > not unhelply1408 helpless1593 unhelping1604 unserviceable1614 unhelpfula1616 unassisting1694 unaiding1716 unassistant1796 1593 W. Shakespeare Venus & Adonis sig. E^v As those poore birds that helplesse berries saw. View more context for this quotation a1616 W. Shakespeare Comedy of Errors (1623) ii. i. 39 Thou..With vrging helpelesse patience would releeue me. View more context for this quotation 1733 A. Pope Ess. Man ii. 144 A sharp Accuser, but a helpless Friend. 1858 T. Carlyle Hist. Friedrich II of Prussia II. vii. ii. 153 Incondite dateless helpless Prussian Books. †4. Admitting no remedy; that cannot be helped. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > easiness > aid, help, or assistance > [adjective] > aided, helped, or assisted > able to be > not helpless1590 1590 E. Spenser Faerie Queene i. iv. sig. D7 Helplesse hap it booteth not to mone. 1590 E. Spenser Faerie Queene i. vii. sig. G3^v Such helplesse harmes yts better hidden keep. This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1898; most recently modified version published online June 2022). < adj.c1175
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