"defenseless" meaning in English

See defenseless in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Adjective

IPA: /dɪˈfɛnsləs/ [UK] Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-defenseless.wav Forms: more defenseless [comparative], most defenseless [superlative]
Etymology: From defense + -less. Etymology templates: {{af|en|defense|-less}} defense + -less Head templates: {{en-adj}} defenseless (comparative more defenseless, superlative most defenseless)
  1. Lacking any form of defense; vulnerable; open to attack. Synonyms: defenceless Derived forms: defenselessly, defenselessness Translations (lacking any form of defense; vulnerable; open to attack): أَعْزَل (ʔaʕzal) (Arabic), безабаро́нны (bjezabarónny) (Belarusian), беззащи́тен (bezzaštíten) (Bulgarian), indefens (Catalan), bezbranný (Czech), weerloos (Dutch), puolustuskyvytön (Finnish), sans défense (French), indefenso (Galician), დაუცველი (daucveli) (Georgian), მოწყვლადი (moc̣q̇vladi) (Georgian), schutzlos (German), wehrlos (German), védtelen (Hungarian), parekore (Maori), wawaukore (Maori), bezbronny (Polish), bezradny (Polish), bezsilny (Polish), indefeso (Portuguese), indefenso (Portuguese), беззащи́тный (bezzaščítnyj) (Russian), indefenso (Spanish), desamparado (Spanish), försvarslös (Swedish), korumasız (Turkish), savunmasız (Turkish), безза́хисний (bezzáxysnyj) (Ukrainian), беззахи́сний (bezzaxýsnyj) (Ukrainian), không được bảo vệ (Vietnamese), không được phòng thủ (Vietnamese)
{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "defense",
        "3": "-less"
      },
      "expansion": "defense + -less",
      "name": "af"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From defense + -less.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "more defenseless",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "most defenseless",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "defenseless (comparative more defenseless, superlative most defenseless)",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms suffixed with -less",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
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          "name": "Terms with Catalan translations",
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        {
          "kind": "other",
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        },
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          "kind": "other",
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        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Finnish translations",
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        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with French translations",
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          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Galician translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Georgian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with German translations",
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        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Hungarian translations",
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        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Maori translations",
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        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Northern Mansi translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
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        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Polish translations",
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        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Portuguese translations",
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        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Russian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
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        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Swedish translations",
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        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Turkish translations",
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        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
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        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Vietnamese translations",
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        }
      ],
      "derived": [
        {
          "word": "defenselessly"
        },
        {
          "word": "defenselessness"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1995, Tom Linskey, Race Winning Strategies:",
          "text": "On the port tack layline , you're defenseless against starboard tackers — you have to dip them , no matter how much you may lose doing it — and the wind shadow of boats spinnakering away from the mark can cost you plenty.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Lacking any form of defense; vulnerable; open to attack."
      ],
      "id": "en-defenseless-en-adj-Ih8sRedS",
      "links": [
        [
          "defense",
          "defense"
        ],
        [
          "vulnerable",
          "vulnerable"
        ],
        [
          "attack",
          "attack"
        ]
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "defenceless"
        }
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "code": "ar",
          "lang": "Arabic",
          "roman": "ʔaʕzal",
          "sense": "lacking any form of defense; vulnerable; open to attack",
          "word": "أَعْزَل"
        },
        {
          "code": "be",
          "lang": "Belarusian",
          "roman": "bjezabarónny",
          "sense": "lacking any form of defense; vulnerable; open to attack",
          "word": "безабаро́нны"
        },
        {
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "bezzaštíten",
          "sense": "lacking any form of defense; vulnerable; open to attack",
          "word": "беззащи́тен"
        },
        {
          "code": "ca",
          "lang": "Catalan",
          "sense": "lacking any form of defense; vulnerable; open to attack",
          "word": "indefens"
        },
        {
          "code": "cs",
          "lang": "Czech",
          "sense": "lacking any form of defense; vulnerable; open to attack",
          "word": "bezbranný"
        },
        {
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "lacking any form of defense; vulnerable; open to attack",
          "word": "weerloos"
        },
        {
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "lacking any form of defense; vulnerable; open to attack",
          "word": "puolustuskyvytön"
        },
        {
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "lacking any form of defense; vulnerable; open to attack",
          "word": "sans défense"
        },
        {
          "code": "gl",
          "lang": "Galician",
          "sense": "lacking any form of defense; vulnerable; open to attack",
          "word": "indefenso"
        },
        {
          "code": "ka",
          "lang": "Georgian",
          "roman": "daucveli",
          "sense": "lacking any form of defense; vulnerable; open to attack",
          "word": "დაუცველი"
        },
        {
          "code": "ka",
          "lang": "Georgian",
          "roman": "moc̣q̇vladi",
          "sense": "lacking any form of defense; vulnerable; open to attack",
          "word": "მოწყვლადი"
        },
        {
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "lacking any form of defense; vulnerable; open to attack",
          "word": "schutzlos"
        },
        {
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "lacking any form of defense; vulnerable; open to attack",
          "word": "wehrlos"
        },
        {
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "lacking any form of defense; vulnerable; open to attack",
          "word": "védtelen"
        },
        {
          "code": "mi",
          "lang": "Maori",
          "sense": "lacking any form of defense; vulnerable; open to attack",
          "word": "parekore"
        },
        {
          "code": "mi",
          "lang": "Maori",
          "sense": "lacking any form of defense; vulnerable; open to attack",
          "word": "wawaukore"
        },
        {
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "lacking any form of defense; vulnerable; open to attack",
          "word": "bezbronny"
        },
        {
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "lacking any form of defense; vulnerable; open to attack",
          "word": "bezradny"
        },
        {
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "lacking any form of defense; vulnerable; open to attack",
          "word": "bezsilny"
        },
        {
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "lacking any form of defense; vulnerable; open to attack",
          "word": "indefeso"
        },
        {
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "lacking any form of defense; vulnerable; open to attack",
          "word": "indefenso"
        },
        {
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "bezzaščítnyj",
          "sense": "lacking any form of defense; vulnerable; open to attack",
          "word": "беззащи́тный"
        },
        {
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "lacking any form of defense; vulnerable; open to attack",
          "word": "indefenso"
        },
        {
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "lacking any form of defense; vulnerable; open to attack",
          "word": "desamparado"
        },
        {
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "lacking any form of defense; vulnerable; open to attack",
          "word": "försvarslös"
        },
        {
          "code": "tr",
          "lang": "Turkish",
          "sense": "lacking any form of defense; vulnerable; open to attack",
          "word": "korumasız"
        },
        {
          "code": "tr",
          "lang": "Turkish",
          "sense": "lacking any form of defense; vulnerable; open to attack",
          "word": "savunmasız"
        },
        {
          "code": "uk",
          "lang": "Ukrainian",
          "roman": "bezzáxysnyj",
          "sense": "lacking any form of defense; vulnerable; open to attack",
          "word": "безза́хисний"
        },
        {
          "code": "uk",
          "lang": "Ukrainian",
          "roman": "bezzaxýsnyj",
          "sense": "lacking any form of defense; vulnerable; open to attack",
          "word": "беззахи́сний"
        },
        {
          "code": "vi",
          "lang": "Vietnamese",
          "sense": "lacking any form of defense; vulnerable; open to attack",
          "word": "không được bảo vệ"
        },
        {
          "code": "vi",
          "lang": "Vietnamese",
          "sense": "lacking any form of defense; vulnerable; open to attack",
          "word": "không được phòng thủ"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/dɪˈfɛnsləs/",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-defenseless.wav",
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    }
  ],
  "word": "defenseless"
}
{
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "defenselessly"
    },
    {
      "word": "defenselessness"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "defense",
        "3": "-less"
      },
      "expansion": "defense + -less",
      "name": "af"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From defense + -less.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "more defenseless",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "most defenseless",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "defenseless (comparative more defenseless, superlative most defenseless)",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English adjectives",
        "English entries with incorrect language header",
        "English lemmas",
        "English terms suffixed with -less",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "Entries with translation boxes",
        "Pages with 1 entry",
        "Pages with entries",
        "Requests for review of Northern Mansi translations",
        "Terms with Arabic translations",
        "Terms with Belarusian translations",
        "Terms with Bulgarian translations",
        "Terms with Catalan translations",
        "Terms with Czech translations",
        "Terms with Dutch translations",
        "Terms with Finnish translations",
        "Terms with French translations",
        "Terms with Galician translations",
        "Terms with Georgian translations",
        "Terms with German translations",
        "Terms with Hungarian translations",
        "Terms with Maori translations",
        "Terms with Northern Mansi translations",
        "Terms with Polish translations",
        "Terms with Portuguese translations",
        "Terms with Russian translations",
        "Terms with Spanish translations",
        "Terms with Swedish translations",
        "Terms with Turkish translations",
        "Terms with Ukrainian translations",
        "Terms with Vietnamese translations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1995, Tom Linskey, Race Winning Strategies:",
          "text": "On the port tack layline , you're defenseless against starboard tackers — you have to dip them , no matter how much you may lose doing it — and the wind shadow of boats spinnakering away from the mark can cost you plenty.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Lacking any form of defense; vulnerable; open to attack."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "defense",
          "defense"
        ],
        [
          "vulnerable",
          "vulnerable"
        ],
        [
          "attack",
          "attack"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/dɪˈfɛnsləs/",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-defenseless.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/4/42/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Flame%2C_not_lame-defenseless.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Flame%2C_not_lame-defenseless.wav.mp3",
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    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "defenceless"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "ar",
      "lang": "Arabic",
      "roman": "ʔaʕzal",
      "sense": "lacking any form of defense; vulnerable; open to attack",
      "word": "أَعْزَل"
    },
    {
      "code": "be",
      "lang": "Belarusian",
      "roman": "bjezabarónny",
      "sense": "lacking any form of defense; vulnerable; open to attack",
      "word": "безабаро́нны"
    },
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "bezzaštíten",
      "sense": "lacking any form of defense; vulnerable; open to attack",
      "word": "беззащи́тен"
    },
    {
      "code": "ca",
      "lang": "Catalan",
      "sense": "lacking any form of defense; vulnerable; open to attack",
      "word": "indefens"
    },
    {
      "code": "cs",
      "lang": "Czech",
      "sense": "lacking any form of defense; vulnerable; open to attack",
      "word": "bezbranný"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "lacking any form of defense; vulnerable; open to attack",
      "word": "weerloos"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "lacking any form of defense; vulnerable; open to attack",
      "word": "puolustuskyvytön"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "lacking any form of defense; vulnerable; open to attack",
      "word": "sans défense"
    },
    {
      "code": "gl",
      "lang": "Galician",
      "sense": "lacking any form of defense; vulnerable; open to attack",
      "word": "indefenso"
    },
    {
      "code": "ka",
      "lang": "Georgian",
      "roman": "daucveli",
      "sense": "lacking any form of defense; vulnerable; open to attack",
      "word": "დაუცველი"
    },
    {
      "code": "ka",
      "lang": "Georgian",
      "roman": "moc̣q̇vladi",
      "sense": "lacking any form of defense; vulnerable; open to attack",
      "word": "მოწყვლადი"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "lacking any form of defense; vulnerable; open to attack",
      "word": "schutzlos"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "lacking any form of defense; vulnerable; open to attack",
      "word": "wehrlos"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "lacking any form of defense; vulnerable; open to attack",
      "word": "védtelen"
    },
    {
      "code": "mi",
      "lang": "Maori",
      "sense": "lacking any form of defense; vulnerable; open to attack",
      "word": "parekore"
    },
    {
      "code": "mi",
      "lang": "Maori",
      "sense": "lacking any form of defense; vulnerable; open to attack",
      "word": "wawaukore"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "lacking any form of defense; vulnerable; open to attack",
      "word": "bezbronny"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "lacking any form of defense; vulnerable; open to attack",
      "word": "bezradny"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "lacking any form of defense; vulnerable; open to attack",
      "word": "bezsilny"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "lacking any form of defense; vulnerable; open to attack",
      "word": "indefeso"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "lacking any form of defense; vulnerable; open to attack",
      "word": "indefenso"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "bezzaščítnyj",
      "sense": "lacking any form of defense; vulnerable; open to attack",
      "word": "беззащи́тный"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "lacking any form of defense; vulnerable; open to attack",
      "word": "indefenso"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "lacking any form of defense; vulnerable; open to attack",
      "word": "desamparado"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "lacking any form of defense; vulnerable; open to attack",
      "word": "försvarslös"
    },
    {
      "code": "tr",
      "lang": "Turkish",
      "sense": "lacking any form of defense; vulnerable; open to attack",
      "word": "korumasız"
    },
    {
      "code": "tr",
      "lang": "Turkish",
      "sense": "lacking any form of defense; vulnerable; open to attack",
      "word": "savunmasız"
    },
    {
      "code": "uk",
      "lang": "Ukrainian",
      "roman": "bezzáxysnyj",
      "sense": "lacking any form of defense; vulnerable; open to attack",
      "word": "безза́хисний"
    },
    {
      "code": "uk",
      "lang": "Ukrainian",
      "roman": "bezzaxýsnyj",
      "sense": "lacking any form of defense; vulnerable; open to attack",
      "word": "беззахи́сний"
    },
    {
      "code": "vi",
      "lang": "Vietnamese",
      "sense": "lacking any form of defense; vulnerable; open to attack",
      "word": "không được bảo vệ"
    },
    {
      "code": "vi",
      "lang": "Vietnamese",
      "sense": "lacking any form of defense; vulnerable; open to attack",
      "word": "không được phòng thủ"
    }
  ],
  "word": "defenseless"
}

Download raw JSONL data for defenseless meaning in English (6.8kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-01-03 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-01-01 using wiktextract (eaedd02 and 8fbd9e8). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.