hopeless — having no expectation of success or improvement; completely inadequate or incompetent
Part of speech: ADJECTIVE
Definition: having no expectation of success or improvement; completely inadequate or incompetent
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈhoʊpləs/
Example Sentences
- My dad is hopeless with technology - he still thinks WiFi is a type of science fiction.
- I'm hopeless at cooking; I once burned water while making instant noodles.
- Without proper funding, the research project seemed hopeless.
hopeless
ADJECTIVE[/ˈhoʊpləs/]
having no expectation of success or improvement; completely inadequate or incompetent
having no expectation of success or improvement; completely inadequate or incompetent
Ropeless and scopeless, completely hopeless!
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
Hopeless emerged in Middle English around the 14th century, combining the noun 'hope' (from Old English 'hopa', meaning desire or expectation) with the Germanic suffix '-less' (denoting absence or lack). The compound literally expresses the absence of hope, creating a word for complete despair or impossibility.
Breakdown
hope (desire, expectation) + -less (without, lacking). The suffix '-less' derives from Old English '-leas', meaning destitute or free from, negating the positive concept of hope to produce its opposite meaning.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My dad is hopeless with technology - he still thinks WiFi is a type of science fiction.”
“I'm hopeless at cooking; I once burned water while making instant noodles.”
“Without proper funding, the research project seemed hopeless.”
“She's a hopeless romantic who believes in fairy tale endings.”
📚Related Words
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