Meaning 1neutral · 82%
Unable to manage a difficulty alone or act effectively without support.
Natural examples
Nach dem Unfall fühlte er sich hilflos.
After the accident, he felt helpless.
Ohne Internet war die Reisende hilflos.
Without internet, the traveler felt helpless.
Das hilflose Kätzchen suchte Schutz im Karton.
The helpless kitten sought shelter inside the box.
Usage note
Hilflos often follows sein or wirken. It also works adverbially, as in hilflos zusehen. Attributive forms take adjective endings.
Mini-lesson: hilflos
Unable to manage a difficulty alone or act effectively without support. Hilflos often follows sein or wirken. It also works adverbially, as in hilflos zusehen. Attributive forms take adjective endings.
Check your learning
Choose one answer.Which definition matches «hilflos»?