English Explanatory Dictionary

hopeless

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. Without hope; despairing; not expecting anything positive.
  2. Giving no ground of hope; promising nothing desirable; desperate.
  3. Without talent, not skilled.
  4. Of an adverse condition, incurable.

Pronunciation

/ˈhəʊplɪs/ /ˈhoʊplɪs/ en-us-hopeless.ogg

Word forms

hopeless more hopeless most hopeless

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-West Germanic *tōhopōnder. Old English tōhopa Old English hopa Middle English hope English hope Proto-Indo-European *lewh₁- Proto-Indo-European *lewHs-der. Proto-Germanic *leusaną Proto-Germanic *lausaz Proto-Germanic *-lausaz Proto-West Germanic *-laus Old English -lēas Middle English -les English -less English hopeless From hope + -less. Compare Swedish hopplös.

Synonyms

desperate unhopeful forlorn

Antonyms

hopeful

Derived words

hopelessly hopelessness
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