hopeless

Word parts

hope + -less

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA ^(key): /həʊplɛs/
• (US) IPA ^(key): /hoʊpləs/

• Audio (US)

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• Audio (US)

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Adjective

Positive hopeless

Comparative more hopeless

Superlative most hopeless

1. If you are hopeless you do not have hope. You do not expect anything good to happen.

   When I lost my job I became completely hopeless.

2. If a situation (way things are) is hopeless, there is little chance that something good might happen. The situation can't be made better.

   The sinking ship was hopeless, there was no way to repair it.

   The people on the sinking ship found the situation hopeless, because land was too far to swim to.

3. If you are hopeless, there is no chance you will change or learn.

   Oh, you're hopeless! You keep expecting someone perfect to come through that door, but it will never happen.

Antonyms

• hopeful

Related words and phrases

• hope
• hopeless romantic