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Dictionaryhopeless
adjective

hopeless

Offering no reasonable chance of success or causing a loss of hope.

With every road flooded, reaching the town tonight seems hopeless.

Etymology
hopeEnglishexpectation of a desired outcome
+lessEnglishwithout

The ending means without. Hopeless describes either the absence of hope in a person or a situation that offers no reasonable basis for hope.

More examples

  • The rescue team refuses to call the search hopeless.
  • Trying to fix this shattered screen with tape is hopeless.
  • The mounting debts make their financial situation look hopeless.

Forms

hopeless · more hopeless · most hopeless

hopelessness noun — The condition of having no hopeful prospects.

hopelessly adverb — With no reasonable chance of success.

Similar words

futile
Describes an effort that cannot produce a useful result.
bleak
Suggests discouraging prospects without ruling out every possible success.
desperate
Emphasizes extreme difficulty and an urgent need for help.