Helplessness

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Helpless \Help"less\, a.
     1. Destitute of help or strength; unable to help or defend
        one's self; needing help; feeble; weak; as, a helpless
        infant.
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              How shall I then your helpless fame defend? --Pope.
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     2. Beyond help; irremediable.
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              Some helpless disagreement or dislike, either of
              mind or body.                         --Milton.
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     3. Bringing no help; unaiding. [Obs.]
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              Yet since the gods have been
              Helpless foreseers of my plagues.     --Chapman.
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     4. Unsupplied; destitute; -- with of. [R.]
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              Helpless of all that human wants require. --Dryden.
        -- {Help"less*ly}, adv. -- {Help"less*ness}, n.
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From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  helplessness
       n 1: powerlessness revealed by an inability to act; "in spite of
            their weakness the group remains highly active" [syn: {weakness},
             {impuissance}]
       2: the state of needing help from something
       3: a feeling of being unable to manage