hopeless

[ˈhəʊplɪs]

[ˈhoʊplɪs]

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Hopeless means feeling like things won't get any better or that there's no way out of a difficult situation. You might feel hopeless when facing a big problem at work or school.

When we say someone is feeling hopeless, it usually means they're really struggling with something and don't see how they can fix it. Maybe their favorite sports team has lost all its games this season, and they think they'll never win again – that's hopelessness! Or maybe they've been looking for a new job for months but haven't gotten one yet; they might feel like there's no chance of getting hired anytime soon. Sometimes people use "hopeless" to describe a situation where it seems impossible to solve the problem, like a huge debt or a really serious illness – they just don't know how things will get better.

How common is "hopeless"?

Word hopeless is considered uncommon in modern English.
It has a balanced usage among all categories: speech, fiction, newspapers and academic texts.

Definitions

adjective

Without hope; despairing; not expecting anything positive.
Giving no ground of hope; promising nothing desirable; desperate.
Example: a hopeless cause
Without talent, not skilled
Example: He's a hopeless writer, but can draw very well.
(of an adverse condition) Incurable.
Example: He is a hopeless idler.