powerless
Unable to act
Powerless means lacking power, strength, or authority to act or influence outcomes.
Someone powerless to stop something cannot prevent it despite wanting to: She felt powerless to help.
The word often describes a frustrating inability to affect circumstances: Citizens were powerless against the regime.
It can also mean lacking official authority: The committee was powerless to enforce its recommendations.
Lacking requisite ability
- feebleWeak and ineffective
- weakLacking power or force
- ineffectualFailing to achieve purpose
- paralyzedUnable to move voluntarily
disabled · disarmed · unarmed · defenceless · exposed · unprotected · stranded · abandoned
Failing to achieve purpose
- futileIncapable of producing results
- uselessWithout practical value
- unproductiveFailing to achieve results
- unavailingProducing no result
fruitless · inadequate · inept · toothless · impotent · lame · neutered · defanged
One lower in rank
- wardProtected person; division
- protegeOne receiving expert guidance
- vassalLand-holding sworn subordinate
- servitudeCompulsory labor under masters
reliant · beholden · subservient · subject · captive · hostage · prisoner · indentured
Beyond possibility of success
- defeatedOvercome in contest
- resignedYielded to circumstances
- demoralizedStripped of confidence
- disheartenedLost confidence or hope
exasperated · discouraged · disenchanted · disillusioned · aggrieved · thwarted · stymied · blocked
Overwhelmed beyond capacity
- engulfedCompletely swallowed up
- submergedBelow water's surface
- inundatedOverwhelmed by quantity
- overcomePrevail against difficulty
besieged · bombarded · deluged · flooded · drowning · outnumbered · outgunned · overburdened
Without means to resist
- unprotectedWithout safeguard or shield
- susceptibleEasily influenced or harmed
- fragileEasily broken or damaged
- precariousDangerously insecure
endangered · threatened · at-risk · unshielded · insecure · unsafe · assailable · undefended
incapable
Lacking requisite ability
- feebleWeak and ineffective
- weakLacking power or force
- ineffectualFailing to achieve purpose
paralyzed · disabled · disarmed · unarmed · defenceless · exposed · unprotected · stranded · abandoned · forsaken
ineffectual
Failing to achieve purpose
- futileIncapable of producing results
- uselessWithout practical value
- unproductiveFailing to achieve results
unavailing · fruitless · inadequate · inept · toothless · impotent · lame · neutered · defanged · declawed
subordinate
One lower in rank
- wardProtected person; division
- protegeOne receiving expert guidance
- vassalLand-holding sworn subordinate
servitude · reliant · beholden · subservient · subject · captive · hostage · prisoner · indentured · enslaved
hopeless
Beyond possibility of success
- defeatedOvercome in contest
- resignedYielded to circumstances
- demoralizedStripped of confidence
disheartened · exasperated · discouraged · disenchanted · disillusioned · aggrieved · thwarted · stymied · blocked · hamstrung
swamped
Overwhelmed beyond capacity
overcome · besieged · bombarded · deluged · flooded · drowning · outnumbered · outgunned · overburdened · stifled
defenseless
Without means to resist
- unprotectedWithout safeguard or shield
- susceptibleEasily influenced or harmed
- fragileEasily broken or damaged
precarious · endangered · threatened · at-risk · unshielded · insecure · unsafe · assailable · undefended · open
- despairdespair, hopelessness, desolation, despondency, dejection
- statusstatus, prestige, ranking, reputation, elite
- recoveryrecovery, sobriety, rehab, recover, recovery room
- strength wordsstrong, mighty, potent, robust, sturdy
- weakweak, feeble, frail, fragile, faint
- vulnerabilityvulnerability, vulnerable, defenselessness, defenseless, helplessness
powerlesspowerful
Having great strength
empowered · in control · influential · able · capable