impotent
adj.adj. feeling completely powerless or unable to change a situation. It describes the frustration of having no control over what is happening.
adj. lacking the power or ability to take effective action. Often describes a person's status or feelings in the face of systemic or overwhelming forces.
He felt impotent as he watched the storm destroy his garden.
The local government felt impotent to stop the factory closure because the decision was made at a global headquarters.
The protagonist is portrayed as an impotent observer of his own life, capable of identifying his mistakes but unable to summon the will to rectify them.
From Old French impotent, from Latin impotēns, from in- (expresses negation) + potēns (“powerful”).
Often used predicatively after linking verbs like 'feel', 'seem', or 'become'.