Dictionary

powerless en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /ˈpaʊɚləs/ (General-American)
• /ˈpaʊələs/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

From Middle English pouerles, powerles, equivalent to power + -less.

Meanings

1. Lacking sufficient power or strength.
   • Tilling my own grave to keep me level Jam another dragon down the hole Digging to the rhythm and the echo of a solitary siren One that pushes me along and leaves me so Desperate and ravenous I'm so weak and powerless Over you 2003, “Weak and Powerless”, performed by A Perfect Circle:
   • Frank desperately wanted to help. To do something. Anything. But he was powerless to stop what was about to happen. 2017, David Walliams [pseudonym; David Edward Williams], Bad Dad, London: HarperCollins Children’s Books, →ISBN:
   • It is said that his right arm had grown powerless from having been raised so often over the heads of those whom he baptized. 1914, James Joyce, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man:
   • One thing is clear: after the first accident had occurred, the enginemen on the down express were powerless to avoid the second collision. 1952 December, “The Harrow Accident”, in Railway Magazine, page 789:
   • “Imagine the growing regrets, the longing to escape, the powerless disgust, the surrender, the hate.” 1899 February, Joseph Conrad, “The Heart of Darkness”, in Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, volume CLXV, number M, New York, N.Y.: The Leonard Scott Publishing Company, […], →OCLC, part I, page 196:
   • In Sweden, as we saw, the mistletoe which is gathered on Midsummer Eve is attached to the ceiling of the house, the horse's stall or the cow's crib, in the belief that this renders the Troll powerless to injure man and beast. 1890, James George Frazer, The Golden Bough, volume 2, page 362:
2. Lacking legal authority.
   • The traffic warden was powerless to stop me driving away.
3. Without electricity or electrical power.
   • During the storm, the entire neighborhood was left powerless for several hours

Forms

Antonyms

powerful · strong

Deriveds

superpowerless · powerlessness · powerlessly

Synonyms

mightless · strengthless · weak · impotent · vulnerable

Translations (82)

kk әлсіз (lacking sufficient power or strength) · fi voimaton (lacking legal authority) · sh не̏моћан (lacking sufficient power or strength) · be немо́цный (lacking sufficient power or strength) · gv neuphooaral (lacking sufficient power or strength) · ko 무력하다 (lacking sufficient power or strength) · hi शक्तिहीन (lacking sufficient power or strength) · mi paraheahea (lacking sufficient power or strength) · mi rōrā (lacking sufficient power or strength) · grc ἀδύνατος (lacking sufficient power or strength) · mi manakore (lacking legal authority) · cmn 無力的 /无力的 (lacking sufficient power or strength) · bg не́мощен (lacking sufficient power or strength) · be неправамо́цны (lacking legal authority) · hu tehetetlen (lacking legal authority) · txb avaṣi (lacking sufficient power or strength) · de kraftlos (lacking sufficient power or strength) · no maktesløs (lacking sufficient power or strength) · ka უძალაუფლებო (lacking legal authority) · mk немоќен (lacking sufficient power or strength) · bg невали́ден (lacking legal authority) · hu erőtlen (lacking sufficient power or strength) · hu tehetetlen (lacking sufficient power or strength) · uk неправоси́льний (lacking legal authority) · fr impuissant (lacking sufficient power or strength) · ka უძლური (lacking sufficient power or strength) · ru не́мощный (lacking sufficient power or strength) · sh обеснажен (lacking sufficient power or strength) · bg безси́лен (lacking sufficient power or strength) · la nequiens (lacking legal authority) · bg безпо́мощен (lacking sufficient power or strength) · sh nȅpravomoćan (lacking legal authority) · hu gyenge (lacking sufficient power or strength) · mi mīere (lacking sufficient power or strength) · es sin poder / poderío / potestad (lacking legal authority) · pl bezsilny (lacking sufficient power or strength) · grc ἀκρατής (lacking legal authority) · mi hangenge (lacking sufficient power or strength) · la impotens (lacking legal authority) · ru беспо́мощный (lacking sufficient power or strength) · eo senpova (lacking sufficient power or strength) · pt impotente (lacking sufficient power or strength) · be бездапамо́жны (lacking sufficient power or strength) · ru бесси́льный (lacking sufficient power or strength) · uk неправочи́нний (lacking legal authority) · mi kahakore (lacking sufficient power or strength) · sh не̏правомоћан (lacking legal authority) · it impotente (lacking sufficient power or strength) · de machtlos (lacking legal authority) · sl nemočen (lacking sufficient power or strength) · sk bezmocný (lacking sufficient power or strength) · sh nȅmoćan (lacking sufficient power or strength) · ar ضَعِيف (lacking sufficient power or strength) · cs bezmocný (lacking sufficient power or strength) · la impotens (lacking sufficient power or strength) · uk безси́лий (lacking sufficient power or strength) · fi heikko (lacking sufficient power or strength) · nl machteloos (lacking legal authority) · fi voimaton (lacking sufficient power or strength) · uk не́мічний (lacking sufficient power or strength) · no maktesløs (lacking legal authority) · sh bȅspomoćan (lacking sufficient power or strength) · ja 無力な (lacking sufficient power or strength) · sh obesnažen (lacking sufficient power or strength) · be бяспо́мачны (lacking sufficient power or strength) · be бязула́дны (lacking legal authority) · ru неправомо́чный (lacking legal authority) · la nequiens (lacking sufficient power or strength) · ja 脆い (lacking sufficient power or strength) · ru безвла́стный (lacking legal authority) · ia impotente (lacking sufficient power or strength) · kk дәрменсіз (lacking sufficient power or strength) · mi mohemohe (lacking sufficient power or strength) · nl machteloos (lacking sufficient power or strength) · mi ngoikore (lacking sufficient power or strength) · uk безвла́дний (lacking legal authority) · es sin poder / poderío / potencia (lacking sufficient power or strength) · sh бе̏спомоћан (lacking sufficient power or strength) · ja 弱い (lacking sufficient power or strength) · ar عَاجِز (lacking sufficient power or strength) · uk безпо́мічний (lacking sufficient power or strength) · be бяссі́льны (lacking sufficient power or strength)