helplessness.

The experience of being unable to protect oneself, act effectively, or obtain needed help.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• a feeling of helplessness
• utter helplessness
• overcome helplessness

On the page

Watching the ambulance disappear into traffic filled him with helplessness.

Her helplessness deepened when the emergency line went dead.

Learning how to open the hatch gave them a way out of helplessness.

Usage notes

Primary category: fear. Highlights dependence or lack of usable agency; fear is frequent but not required. Not a synonym for physical weakness alone. Usually uncountable in this sense. Derived family (not additional inflections or records): helpless.