1
a
: having no expectation of good or success : despairing
felt hopeless and alone
b
: not susceptible to remedy or cure
doctors say his condition is hopeless
c
: incapable of redemption or improvement
She's a hopeless romantic.
the most hopeless group of golfers you've ever seen
2
b
: incapable of solution, management, or accomplishment : impossible
a hopeless task
hopelessness
noun
Synonyms
Examples of hopeless in a Sentence
He felt confused and hopeless after losing his job.
We were the most hopeless group of golfers you ever saw.
He's very ill, but his condition isn't hopeless.
Recent Examples on the Web
That is, for so long, that as entertainment was our way out of a hopeless life.
—
Okla Jones, Essence, 16 Apr. 2024
Russia-Ukraine war: Russian regime propaganda has taken hold in America’s political conversation, with some pro-Trump Republicans often echoing Moscow’s line on why Ukraine is a hopeless cause.
—Elizabeth Both, NBC News, 15 Apr. 2024
The agony of midnight massacre, the frenzy of the ship’s dungeon, the living death of the middle-passage, the wails of separation, the dismal torpor of hopeless servitude—are these found only in the piracy of the slave trade?
—Louis Menand, The New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2024
Given Alzheimer’s history as a hopeless diagnosis, people living with the condition, their family members, and providers have recently welcomed the first drugs ever to treat the disease’s underlying brain pathology.
—Katherine O'Malley, STAT, 27 Mar. 2024
Werenski tapped in another at 18:30 for his fourth goal of the season, forcing the Ducks to chase down what felt like a hopeless cause.
—Josh Gross, Orange County Register, 25 Feb. 2024
The album has the trademark blue-collar vibe of many other Springsteen albums, but this was also full of bleak and hopeless themes, accompanied by a sparse instruments.
—Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Apr. 2024
In 2017, the app launched Bumble Biz to give hopeless romantics the chance to find both their future partner and employer in one place.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune Europe, 7 Mar. 2024
Of all the hopeless romantics Stephen Sondheim set to song, Mrs. Lovett is by far the most deranged yet somehow the most endearing.
—Washington Post Staff, Washington Post, 13 Feb. 2024
Okla Jones, Essence, 16 Apr. 2024
Russia-Ukraine war: Russian regime propaganda has taken hold in America’s political conversation, with some pro-Trump Republicans often echoing Moscow’s line on why Ukraine is a hopeless cause.
—Elizabeth Both, NBC News, 15 Apr. 2024
The agony of midnight massacre, the frenzy of the ship’s dungeon, the living death of the middle-passage, the wails of separation, the dismal torpor of hopeless servitude—are these found only in the piracy of the slave trade?
—Louis Menand, The New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2024
Given Alzheimer’s history as a hopeless diagnosis, people living with the condition, their family members, and providers have recently welcomed the first drugs ever to treat the disease’s underlying brain pathology.
—Katherine O'Malley, STAT, 27 Mar. 2024
Werenski tapped in another at 18:30 for his fourth goal of the season, forcing the Ducks to chase down what felt like a hopeless cause.
—Josh Gross, Orange County Register, 25 Feb. 2024
The album has the trademark blue-collar vibe of many other Springsteen albums, but this was also full of bleak and hopeless themes, accompanied by a sparse instruments.
—Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Apr. 2024
In 2017, the app launched Bumble Biz to give hopeless romantics the chance to find both their future partner and employer in one place.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune Europe, 7 Mar. 2024
Of all the hopeless romantics Stephen Sondheim set to song, Mrs. Lovett is by far the most deranged yet somehow the most endearing.
—Washington Post Staff, Washington Post, 13 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hopeless.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to hopeless
Dictionary Entries Near hopeless
Cite this Entry
“Hopeless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hopeless. Accessed 26 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hopeless
adjective
hope·less
ˈhō-pləs 
1
a
: having no expectation of good or success
b
2
a
: giving no reason for hope : desperate
a hopeless situation
b
: incapable of solution or accomplishment : impossible
a hopeless task
hopelessly
adverb
hopelessness
noun
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