hopeless
gb/hˈoʊpləs/ us/hˈoʊpləs/
A2
English
~ 3800
Senses
0 senses
adjective
B1
property
1
Without chance of success
Not able to succeed or get better.
Usage pattern:
[someone/something] is hopeless at [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'hopeless' with 'helpless'. 'Hopeless' means there is no chance of success, while 'helpless' means unable to act or protect oneself.
Synonyms
futile (Suggests effort is wasted because success is impossible.)
|
pointless (Emphasizes lack of purpose or result.)
Antonyms
hopeful (Suggests having a chance or feeling that success is possible.)
|
promising (Indicates signs of likely future success.)
Collocations
hopeless case
|hopeless situation
|seem hopeless
|completely hopeless
|feel hopeless
Themes
emotions
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The rescue mission seemed hopeless in the bad weather.
- He felt hopeless about passing the exam after failing twice.
- It’s a hopeless case; the machine can’t be fixed.
- The team’s chances looked hopeless after they lost their best player.
- Her situation was hopeless, with no money and nowhere to go.
Learner examples
- The game is hopeless. We will lose.
- I feel hopeless about my job search.
- This plan is hopeless. It will not work.
- He is hopeless at cooking.
- Our chances are hopeless now.
adjective
A2
property
2
Very bad at something
Not good at doing something; very poor at it.
Usage pattern:
[someone] is hopeless at [activity]
Common mistake:
Learners might think 'hopeless' here means 'very sad', but in this sense it means 'very bad at something'.
Synonyms
inept (More formal; suggests total lack of skill.)
|
clumsy (Focuses on physical awkwardness.)
Antonyms
skilled (Shows competence or ability.)
|
talented (Highlights natural ability.)
Collocations
hopeless at sports
|hopeless at driving
|hopeless dancer
Themes
daily life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- I’m hopeless at remembering names.
- She’s hopeless at playing the guitar.
- He’s a hopeless driver and often gets lost.
- I was hopeless at math in school.
- They are hopeless at keeping secrets.
Learner examples
- I am hopeless at cooking rice.
- She is hopeless at sports.
- He is hopeless at dancing.
- We are hopeless at fixing cars.
Grammar
Dictionary form
hopeless
IPA
GB/hˈoʊpləs/
US/hˈoʊpləs/
Syllables & stress
hope - less (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (hope)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: hopeless
Word family
Negative and opposite forms
hopelessly
adverb B2
hopelessness
noun
Expressions
a hopeless case
1/ə hˈoʊpləs kˈeɪs/
fixed phrase
No chance of improvement
A person or situation that cannot be helped or made better.
Examples
- The old car is a hopeless case; it will never run again.
- I tried to teach him chess, but he’s a hopeless case.
feel hopeless
1/fˈil hˈoʊpləs/
fixed phrase
To have no hope
To feel that things will not get better or succeed.
Examples
- After losing his job, he began to feel hopeless.
- She felt hopeless about her chances of recovery.
hopeless romantic
1/hˈoʊpləs ɹoʊmˈæntɪk/
idiom
Unrealistically idealistic about love
Someone who believes in perfect love, even if it is not realistic.
Examples
- He’s a hopeless romantic who still writes love letters.
- She calls herself a hopeless romantic, always dreaming about fairy-tale weddings.
hopeless romantic
2/hˈoʊpləs ɹoʊmˈæntɪk/
idiom
person who always believes in ideal love
Someone who always believes in perfect love, even if they have many problems in relationships.
Examples
- She’s a hopeless romantic who still dreams of a fairy-tale wedding.
- Even after two divorces, he remains a hopeless romantic.
- My friends call me a hopeless romantic because I never give up on love.