powerless
/ˈpaʊəlɪs
/adjective [often with infinitive]
Without ability, influence, or power: troops were powerless to stop last night’s shooting...
- These could be extremely damaging to local economies, which felt powerless to influence them.
- I had my every move recorded and felt powerless to stop the intimidation.
- They probably want to force their own ideas on a general public that is deemed powerless to stop them.
Synonyms
impotent, helpless, without power, ineffectual, inadequate, ineffective, with no say, useless, defenceless, vulnerable, weak, feeble, paralysed;
unable, not able, incapable
literary impuissant
archaic resistless
Derivatives
powerlessly
- It's a tragedy for the families involved, and my heart goes out to them as they come to terms with what they saw as they waited for their loved ones at the landing site and watched powerlessly as the events unfolded.
- When paramedics finally took the woman away, he fretted powerlessly.
- Do we have to watch powerlessly as this vandalism takes place?