hopeless

English

Etymology

hope +‎ -less, compare Swedish hopplös.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈhəʊplɪs/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈhoʊplɪs/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -əʊplɪs
• Hyphenation: hope‧less

Adjective

hopeless (comparative more hopeless, superlative most hopeless)

1. Without hope; despairing; not expecting anything positive.
   • 1613 (date written), William Shakespeare, [John Fletcher], “The Famous History of the Life of King Henry the Eight”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies  (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :

     I am a woman, friendless, hopeless.

   • 1613–1614 (date written), John Fletcher, William Shak[e]speare, The Two Noble Kinsmen: , London: Tho Cotes, for Iohn Waterson;  , published 1634, →OCLC, Act II, scene iii, page 31:

     And he a prince; To marry him is hopeleſſe;

   • 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter XV, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:

     Edward Churchill still attended to his work in a hopeless mechanical manner like a sleep-walker who walks safely on a well-known round. But his Roman collar galled him, his cossack stifled him, his biretta was as uncomfortable as a merry-andrew's cap and bells.

   • 1966, James Workman, The Mad Emperor, Melbourne, Sydney: Scripts, page 41:

     A gaoler struck him, pushing him back in place in the hopeless, helpless line of prisoners.

2. Giving no ground of hope; promising nothing desirable; desperate.

   a hopeless cause

3. Without talent, not skilled.

   He's a hopeless writer, but can draw very well.

   • 1925 July – 1926 May, A[rthur] Conan Doyle, “(please specify the chapter number)”, in The Land of Mist (eBook no. 0601351h.html), Australia: Project Gutenberg Australia, published April 2019:

     " It is a pure waste of time." "Not at all," Malone answered. "It has ventilated an evil. There were reporters in court. Surely some of them have some sense. They will note the injustice." "Not they," said Mailey. "The Press is hopeless. My God, what a responsibility these people take on themselves, and how little they guess the price that each will pay! I know."

4. (of an adverse condition) Incurable.

   She is a hopeless romantic.

   He is a hopeless idler.

Synonyms

• desperate
• unhopeful

Antonyms

• hopeful

Derived terms

• hopelessly
• hopeless romantic

Collocations

Translations

References

• “hopeless”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “hopeless”, in The Century Dictionary , New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
• “hopeless”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.