Meaning & Definition of Hopeless in English

Detailed Definitions

• Definition: Having no expectation of good or success.

  Example Sentence: He felt hopeless about his future.

• Definition: In a situation that appears to be impossible to improve.

  Example Sentence: The project seemed hopeless with the lack of funding.

• Definition: Incapable of being changed for the better.

  Example Sentence: The outlook for the economy was deemed hopeless by analysts.

Etymology

Origin: From hope + -less, meaning 'without hope'.

Synonyms

Common Phrases and Expressions

• hopeless romantic: A person who is overly idealistic about love, often to the point of unrealistic expectations.
• hopeless case: A person or situation that is beyond help or improvement.
• hopeless situation: A circumstance that appears unresolvable.

Translations

• Spanish: desesperado

• French: sans espoir

• German: hoffnungslos

• Russian: безнадежный

Related Words

• despair: The complete loss or absence of hope.

• despondent: In low spirits from loss of hope or courage.

• pessimistic: Having a tendency to see the worst aspect of things or believe that the worst will happen.

Slang Meanings of hopeless

• Meaning: Throwing in the towel

  Example Sentence: After several failed attempts, she decided to throw in the towel and accept the situation as hopeless.

• Meaning: Dead in the water

  Example Sentence: The project was dead in the water, with no hope of saving it.