Word
hopeless
Phoneticshope·less, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈhoʊpɫəs/
UK/hˈəʊpləs/
Definitions
01feeling no hope
B1 · Intermediate
adj. feeling that nothing good will happen and that a situation is impossible to change.
adj. despairing or devoid of expectation; used to describe a person's internal emotional state regarding the future.
“After weeks of bad news, he felt hopeless about finding a new job.”
“The refugees felt increasingly hopeless as the winter approached and the peace negotiations showed no signs of progress.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
02impossible to solve
B1 · Intermediate
adj. describing a situation that is so bad it cannot be fixed or improved.
adj. providing no grounds for hope or improvement; describing an objective situation that is beyond remedy.
“The car was in such a bad accident that the mechanics said it was a hopeless case.”
“The legal team eventually conceded that their appeal was a hopeless cause given the overwhelming evidence presented by the prosecution.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
03not skilled
B2 · Upper Intermediate Informal
adj. very bad at doing something; having no talent for a specific task.
adj. completely lacking in skill or aptitude for a particular activity. Often used with the preposition 'at'.
“I am hopeless at cooking, so I usually just order pizza.”
“Despite his passion for the sport, he admitted he was hopeless at tennis and could rarely hit the ball over the net.”
Usage
Usually followed by the preposition 'at' and a noun or gerund.
Synonyms
Etymology
From hope + -less, compare Swedish hopplös.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
ADVERB
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B1 · Intermediate
- Updated
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englishreference.com/q/hopeless