"powerless" meaning in English

See powerless in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Adjective

IPA: /ˈpaʊɚləs/ [General-American], /ˈpaʊələs/ [Received-Pronunciation] Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vininn126-powerless.wav [US] Forms: more powerless [comparative], most powerless [superlative]
Etymology: From Middle English pouerles, powerles, equivalent to power + -less. Etymology templates: {{inh|en|enm|pouerles}} Middle English pouerles, {{m|enm|powerles}} powerles, {{af|en|power|-less}} power + -less Head templates: {{en-adj}} powerless (comparative more powerless, superlative most powerless)
  1. Lacking sufficient power or strength. Translations (lacking sufficient power or strength): ἀδύνατος (adúnatos) (Ancient Greek), ضَعِيف (ḍaʕīf) (Arabic), عَاجِز (ʕājiz) (Arabic), бяссі́льны (bjassílʹny) (Belarusian), немо́цный (njemócnyj) (Belarusian), бездапамо́жны (bjezdapamóžny) (Belarusian), бяспо́мачны (bjaspómačny) (Belarusian), безси́лен (bezsílen) (Bulgarian), не́мощен (némošten) (Bulgarian), безпо́мощен (bezpómošten) (Bulgarian), 無力的 (Chinese Mandarin), 无力的 (wúlì de) (Chinese Mandarin), bezmocný (Czech), machteloos (Dutch), senpova (Esperanto), voimaton (Finnish), heikko (Finnish), impuissant (French), უძლური (uʒluri) (Georgian), kraftlos (German), erőtlen (Hungarian), gyenge (Hungarian), tehetetlen (Hungarian), impotente (Interlingua), impotente (Italian), 弱い (yowai) (alt: よわい) (Japanese), 脆い (moroi) (alt: もろい) (Japanese), 無力な (muryoku na) (alt: むりょくな) (Japanese), 무력하다 (muryeokhada) (Korean), nequiens (Latin), impotens (Latin), немоќен (nemoḱen) (Macedonian), neuphooaral (Manx), hangenge (Maori), mīere (Maori), rōrā (Maori), kahakore (Maori), mohemohe (Maori), ngoikore (Maori), paraheahea (Maori), maktesløs (Norwegian), bezsilny (Polish), impotente (Portuguese), бесси́льный (bessílʹnyj) (Russian), беспо́мощный (bespómoščnyj) (Russian), не́мощный (némoščnyj) (Russian), не̏моћан [Cyrillic] (Serbo-Croatian), обеснажен [Cyrillic] (Serbo-Croatian), бе̏спомоћан [Cyrillic] (Serbo-Croatian), nȅmoćan [Roman] (Serbo-Croatian), obesnažen [Roman] (Serbo-Croatian), bȅspomoćan [Roman] (Serbo-Croatian), bezmocný (Slovak), nemočen (Slovene), impotente (Spanish), avaṣi (Tocharian B), безси́лий (bezsýlyj) (Ukrainian), не́мічний (némičnyj) (Ukrainian), безпо́мічний (bezpómičnyj) (Ukrainian)
    Sense id: en-powerless-en-adj-s7XnCS8n Disambiguation of 'lacking sufficient power or strength': 84 12 4
  2. Lacking legal authority. Translations (lacking legal authority): ἀκρατής (akratḗs) (Ancient Greek), бязула́дны (bjazuládny) (Belarusian), неправамо́цны (njepravamócny) (Belarusian), невали́ден (nevalíden) (Bulgarian), machteloos (Dutch), voimaton (Finnish), უძალაუფლებო (uʒalauplebo) (Georgian), machtlos (German), tehetetlen (Hungarian), nequiens (Latin), impotens (Latin), manakore (Maori), maktesløs (Norwegian), безвла́стный (bezvlástnyj) (Russian), неправомо́чный (nepravomóčnyj) (Russian), не̏правомоћан [Cyrillic] (Serbo-Croatian), nȅpravomoćan [Roman] (Serbo-Croatian), безвла́дний (bezvládnyj) (Ukrainian), неправочи́нний (nepravočýnnyj) (Ukrainian), неправоси́льний (nepravosýlʹnyj) (Ukrainian)
    Sense id: en-powerless-en-adj-~trFCZv9 Disambiguation of 'lacking legal authority': 10 87 3
  3. Without electricity or electrical power.
    Sense id: en-powerless-en-adj-mhnEqVnl Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English entries with language name categories using raw markup, English terms suffixed with -less Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 27 29 44 Disambiguation of English entries with language name categories using raw markup: 10 13 77 Disambiguation of English terms suffixed with -less: 19 19 61
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Synonyms: mightless, strengthless, weak, vulnerable, powerlesse [obsolete] Derived forms: powerlessly, powerlessness, superpowerless

Download JSON data for powerless meaning in English (14.5kB)

{
  "antonyms": [
    {
      "word": "powerful"
    },
    {
      "word": "strong"
    }
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "powerlessly"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "powerlessness"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "superpowerless"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "pouerles"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English pouerles",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "powerles"
      },
      "expansion": "powerles",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "power",
        "3": "-less"
      },
      "expansion": "power + -less",
      "name": "af"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle English pouerles, powerles, equivalent to power + -less.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "more powerless",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "most powerless",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "powerless (comparative more powerless, superlative most powerless)",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
  ],
  "hyphenation": [
    "pow‧er‧less"
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "I admit that I am powerless over my hatred towards white people in ways that I am unable to recognize fully, both at this time and in the past."
        },
        {
          "ref": "1890, James George Frazer, The Golden Bough, volume 2, page 362",
          "text": "In Sweden, as we saw, the mistletoe which is gathered on Midsummer Eve is attached to the ceiling of the house, the horse's stall or the cow's crib, in the belief that this renders the Troll powerless to injure man and beast.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1914, James Joyce, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man",
          "text": "It is said that his right arm had grown powerless from having been raised so often over the heads of those whom he baptized.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Lacking sufficient power or strength."
      ],
      "id": "en-powerless-en-adj-s7XnCS8n",
      "links": [
        [
          "power",
          "power"
        ],
        [
          "strength",
          "strength"
        ]
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "84 12 4",
          "code": "ar",
          "lang": "Arabic",
          "roman": "ḍaʕīf",
          "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
          "word": "ضَعِيف"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 12 4",
          "code": "ar",
          "lang": "Arabic",
          "roman": "ʕājiz",
          "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
          "word": "عَاجِز"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 12 4",
          "code": "be",
          "lang": "Belarusian",
          "roman": "bjassílʹny",
          "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
          "word": "бяссі́льны"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 12 4",
          "code": "be",
          "lang": "Belarusian",
          "roman": "njemócnyj",
          "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
          "word": "немо́цный"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 12 4",
          "code": "be",
          "lang": "Belarusian",
          "roman": "bjezdapamóžny",
          "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
          "word": "бездапамо́жны"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 12 4",
          "code": "be",
          "lang": "Belarusian",
          "roman": "bjaspómačny",
          "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
          "word": "бяспо́мачны"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 12 4",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "bezsílen",
          "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
          "word": "безси́лен"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 12 4",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "némošten",
          "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
          "word": "не́мощен"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 12 4",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "bezpómošten",
          "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
          "word": "безпо́мощен"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 12 4",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
          "word": "無力的"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 12 4",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "wúlì de",
          "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
          "word": "无力的"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 12 4",
          "code": "cs",
          "lang": "Czech",
          "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
          "word": "bezmocný"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 12 4",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
          "word": "machteloos"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 12 4",
          "code": "eo",
          "lang": "Esperanto",
          "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
          "word": "senpova"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 12 4",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
          "word": "voimaton"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 12 4",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
          "word": "heikko"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 12 4",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
          "word": "impuissant"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 12 4",
          "code": "ka",
          "lang": "Georgian",
          "roman": "uʒluri",
          "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
          "word": "უძლური"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 12 4",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
          "word": "kraftlos"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 12 4",
          "code": "grc",
          "lang": "Ancient Greek",
          "roman": "adúnatos",
          "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
          "word": "ἀδύνατος"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 12 4",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
          "word": "erőtlen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 12 4",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
          "word": "gyenge"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 12 4",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
          "word": "tehetetlen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 12 4",
          "code": "ia",
          "lang": "Interlingua",
          "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
          "word": "impotente"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 12 4",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
          "word": "impotente"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 12 4",
          "alt": "よわい",
          "code": "ja",
          "lang": "Japanese",
          "roman": "yowai",
          "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
          "word": "弱い"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 12 4",
          "alt": "もろい",
          "code": "ja",
          "lang": "Japanese",
          "roman": "moroi",
          "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
          "word": "脆い"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 12 4",
          "alt": "むりょくな",
          "code": "ja",
          "lang": "Japanese",
          "roman": "muryoku na",
          "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
          "word": "無力な"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 12 4",
          "code": "ko",
          "lang": "Korean",
          "roman": "muryeokhada",
          "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
          "word": "무력하다"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 12 4",
          "code": "la",
          "lang": "Latin",
          "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
          "word": "nequiens"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 12 4",
          "code": "la",
          "lang": "Latin",
          "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
          "word": "impotens"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 12 4",
          "code": "mk",
          "lang": "Macedonian",
          "roman": "nemoḱen",
          "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
          "word": "немоќен"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 12 4",
          "code": "gv",
          "lang": "Manx",
          "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
          "word": "neuphooaral"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 12 4",
          "code": "mi",
          "lang": "Maori",
          "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
          "word": "hangenge"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 12 4",
          "code": "mi",
          "lang": "Maori",
          "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
          "word": "mīere"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 12 4",
          "code": "mi",
          "lang": "Maori",
          "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
          "word": "rōrā"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 12 4",
          "code": "mi",
          "lang": "Maori",
          "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
          "word": "kahakore"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 12 4",
          "code": "mi",
          "lang": "Maori",
          "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
          "word": "mohemohe"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 12 4",
          "code": "mi",
          "lang": "Maori",
          "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
          "word": "ngoikore"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 12 4",
          "code": "mi",
          "lang": "Maori",
          "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
          "word": "paraheahea"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 12 4",
          "code": "no",
          "lang": "Norwegian",
          "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
          "word": "maktesløs"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 12 4",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
          "word": "bezsilny"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 12 4",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
          "word": "impotente"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 12 4",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "bessílʹnyj",
          "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
          "word": "бесси́льный"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 12 4",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "bespómoščnyj",
          "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
          "word": "беспо́мощный"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 12 4",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "némoščnyj",
          "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
          "word": "не́мощный"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 12 4",
          "code": "sh",
          "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
          "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
          "tags": [
            "Cyrillic"
          ],
          "word": "не̏моћан"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 12 4",
          "code": "sh",
          "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
          "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
          "tags": [
            "Cyrillic"
          ],
          "word": "обеснажен"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 12 4",
          "code": "sh",
          "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
          "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
          "tags": [
            "Cyrillic"
          ],
          "word": "бе̏спомоћан"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 12 4",
          "code": "sh",
          "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
          "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
          "tags": [
            "Roman"
          ],
          "word": "nȅmoćan"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 12 4",
          "code": "sh",
          "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
          "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
          "tags": [
            "Roman"
          ],
          "word": "obesnažen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 12 4",
          "code": "sh",
          "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
          "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
          "tags": [
            "Roman"
          ],
          "word": "bȅspomoćan"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 12 4",
          "code": "sk",
          "lang": "Slovak",
          "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
          "word": "bezmocný"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 12 4",
          "code": "sl",
          "lang": "Slovene",
          "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
          "word": "nemočen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 12 4",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
          "word": "impotente"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 12 4",
          "code": "txb",
          "lang": "Tocharian B",
          "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
          "word": "avaṣi"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 12 4",
          "code": "uk",
          "lang": "Ukrainian",
          "roman": "bezsýlyj",
          "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
          "word": "безси́лий"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 12 4",
          "code": "uk",
          "lang": "Ukrainian",
          "roman": "némičnyj",
          "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
          "word": "не́мічний"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 12 4",
          "code": "uk",
          "lang": "Ukrainian",
          "roman": "bezpómičnyj",
          "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
          "word": "безпо́мічний"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "The traffic warden was powerless to stop me driving away."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Lacking legal authority."
      ],
      "id": "en-powerless-en-adj-~trFCZv9",
      "links": [
        [
          "legal",
          "legal"
        ],
        [
          "authority",
          "authority"
        ]
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "10 87 3",
          "code": "be",
          "lang": "Belarusian",
          "roman": "bjazuládny",
          "sense": "lacking legal authority",
          "word": "бязула́дны"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "10 87 3",
          "code": "be",
          "lang": "Belarusian",
          "roman": "njepravamócny",
          "sense": "lacking legal authority",
          "word": "неправамо́цны"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "10 87 3",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "nevalíden",
          "sense": "lacking legal authority",
          "word": "невали́ден"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "10 87 3",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "lacking legal authority",
          "word": "machteloos"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "10 87 3",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "lacking legal authority",
          "word": "voimaton"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "10 87 3",
          "code": "ka",
          "lang": "Georgian",
          "roman": "uʒalauplebo",
          "sense": "lacking legal authority",
          "word": "უძალაუფლებო"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "10 87 3",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "lacking legal authority",
          "word": "machtlos"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "10 87 3",
          "code": "grc",
          "lang": "Ancient Greek",
          "roman": "akratḗs",
          "sense": "lacking legal authority",
          "word": "ἀκρατής"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "10 87 3",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "lacking legal authority",
          "word": "tehetetlen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "10 87 3",
          "code": "la",
          "lang": "Latin",
          "sense": "lacking legal authority",
          "word": "nequiens"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "10 87 3",
          "code": "la",
          "lang": "Latin",
          "sense": "lacking legal authority",
          "word": "impotens"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "10 87 3",
          "code": "mi",
          "lang": "Maori",
          "sense": "lacking legal authority",
          "word": "manakore"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "10 87 3",
          "code": "no",
          "lang": "Norwegian",
          "sense": "lacking legal authority",
          "word": "maktesløs"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "10 87 3",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "bezvlástnyj",
          "sense": "lacking legal authority",
          "word": "безвла́стный"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "10 87 3",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "nepravomóčnyj",
          "sense": "lacking legal authority",
          "word": "неправомо́чный"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "10 87 3",
          "code": "sh",
          "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
          "sense": "lacking legal authority",
          "tags": [
            "Cyrillic"
          ],
          "word": "не̏правомоћан"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "10 87 3",
          "code": "sh",
          "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
          "sense": "lacking legal authority",
          "tags": [
            "Roman"
          ],
          "word": "nȅpravomoćan"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "10 87 3",
          "code": "uk",
          "lang": "Ukrainian",
          "roman": "bezvládnyj",
          "sense": "lacking legal authority",
          "word": "безвла́дний"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "10 87 3",
          "code": "uk",
          "lang": "Ukrainian",
          "roman": "nepravočýnnyj",
          "sense": "lacking legal authority",
          "word": "неправочи́нний"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "10 87 3",
          "code": "uk",
          "lang": "Ukrainian",
          "roman": "nepravosýlʹnyj",
          "sense": "lacking legal authority",
          "word": "неправоси́льний"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "27 29 44",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "10 13 77",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with language name categories using raw markup",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "19 19 61",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms suffixed with -less",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "During the storm, the entire neighborhood was left powerless for several hours"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Without electricity or electrical power."
      ],
      "id": "en-powerless-en-adj-mhnEqVnl",
      "links": [
        [
          "electricity",
          "electricity"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈpaʊɚləs/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈpaʊələs/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vininn126-powerless.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/a/a6/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vininn126-powerless.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vininn126-powerless.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/a/a6/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vininn126-powerless.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vininn126-powerless.wav.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (US)"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "mightless"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "strengthless"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "weak"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "vulnerable"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "tags": [
        "obsolete"
      ],
      "word": "powerlesse"
    }
  ],
  "word": "powerless"
}
{
  "antonyms": [
    {
      "word": "powerful"
    },
    {
      "word": "strong"
    }
  ],
  "categories": [
    "English 3-syllable words",
    "English adjectives",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
    "English lemmas",
    "English terms derived from Middle English",
    "English terms inherited from Middle English",
    "English terms suffixed with -less",
    "English terms with IPA pronunciation",
    "English terms with audio links"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "powerlessly"
    },
    {
      "word": "powerlessness"
    },
    {
      "word": "superpowerless"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "pouerles"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English pouerles",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "powerles"
      },
      "expansion": "powerles",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "power",
        "3": "-less"
      },
      "expansion": "power + -less",
      "name": "af"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle English pouerles, powerles, equivalent to power + -less.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "more powerless",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "most powerless",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "powerless (comparative more powerless, superlative most powerless)",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
  ],
  "hyphenation": [
    "pow‧er‧less"
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "I admit that I am powerless over my hatred towards white people in ways that I am unable to recognize fully, both at this time and in the past."
        },
        {
          "ref": "1890, James George Frazer, The Golden Bough, volume 2, page 362",
          "text": "In Sweden, as we saw, the mistletoe which is gathered on Midsummer Eve is attached to the ceiling of the house, the horse's stall or the cow's crib, in the belief that this renders the Troll powerless to injure man and beast.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1914, James Joyce, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man",
          "text": "It is said that his right arm had grown powerless from having been raised so often over the heads of those whom he baptized.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Lacking sufficient power or strength."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "power",
          "power"
        ],
        [
          "strength",
          "strength"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "The traffic warden was powerless to stop me driving away."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Lacking legal authority."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "legal",
          "legal"
        ],
        [
          "authority",
          "authority"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "During the storm, the entire neighborhood was left powerless for several hours"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Without electricity or electrical power."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "electricity",
          "electricity"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈpaʊɚləs/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈpaʊələs/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vininn126-powerless.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/a/a6/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vininn126-powerless.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vininn126-powerless.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/a/a6/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vininn126-powerless.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vininn126-powerless.wav.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (US)"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "mightless"
    },
    {
      "word": "strengthless"
    },
    {
      "word": "weak"
    },
    {
      "word": "vulnerable"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "obsolete"
      ],
      "word": "powerlesse"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "ar",
      "lang": "Arabic",
      "roman": "ḍaʕīf",
      "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
      "word": "ضَعِيف"
    },
    {
      "code": "ar",
      "lang": "Arabic",
      "roman": "ʕājiz",
      "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
      "word": "عَاجِز"
    },
    {
      "code": "be",
      "lang": "Belarusian",
      "roman": "bjassílʹny",
      "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
      "word": "бяссі́льны"
    },
    {
      "code": "be",
      "lang": "Belarusian",
      "roman": "njemócnyj",
      "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
      "word": "немо́цный"
    },
    {
      "code": "be",
      "lang": "Belarusian",
      "roman": "bjezdapamóžny",
      "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
      "word": "бездапамо́жны"
    },
    {
      "code": "be",
      "lang": "Belarusian",
      "roman": "bjaspómačny",
      "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
      "word": "бяспо́мачны"
    },
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "bezsílen",
      "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
      "word": "безси́лен"
    },
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "némošten",
      "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
      "word": "не́мощен"
    },
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "bezpómošten",
      "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
      "word": "безпо́мощен"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
      "word": "無力的"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "wúlì de",
      "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
      "word": "无力的"
    },
    {
      "code": "cs",
      "lang": "Czech",
      "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
      "word": "bezmocný"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
      "word": "machteloos"
    },
    {
      "code": "eo",
      "lang": "Esperanto",
      "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
      "word": "senpova"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
      "word": "voimaton"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
      "word": "heikko"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
      "word": "impuissant"
    },
    {
      "code": "ka",
      "lang": "Georgian",
      "roman": "uʒluri",
      "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
      "word": "უძლური"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
      "word": "kraftlos"
    },
    {
      "code": "grc",
      "lang": "Ancient Greek",
      "roman": "adúnatos",
      "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
      "word": "ἀδύνατος"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
      "word": "erőtlen"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
      "word": "gyenge"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
      "word": "tehetetlen"
    },
    {
      "code": "ia",
      "lang": "Interlingua",
      "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
      "word": "impotente"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
      "word": "impotente"
    },
    {
      "alt": "よわい",
      "code": "ja",
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "roman": "yowai",
      "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
      "word": "弱い"
    },
    {
      "alt": "もろい",
      "code": "ja",
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "roman": "moroi",
      "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
      "word": "脆い"
    },
    {
      "alt": "むりょくな",
      "code": "ja",
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "roman": "muryoku na",
      "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
      "word": "無力な"
    },
    {
      "code": "ko",
      "lang": "Korean",
      "roman": "muryeokhada",
      "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
      "word": "무력하다"
    },
    {
      "code": "la",
      "lang": "Latin",
      "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
      "word": "nequiens"
    },
    {
      "code": "la",
      "lang": "Latin",
      "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
      "word": "impotens"
    },
    {
      "code": "mk",
      "lang": "Macedonian",
      "roman": "nemoḱen",
      "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
      "word": "немоќен"
    },
    {
      "code": "gv",
      "lang": "Manx",
      "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
      "word": "neuphooaral"
    },
    {
      "code": "mi",
      "lang": "Maori",
      "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
      "word": "hangenge"
    },
    {
      "code": "mi",
      "lang": "Maori",
      "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
      "word": "mīere"
    },
    {
      "code": "mi",
      "lang": "Maori",
      "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
      "word": "rōrā"
    },
    {
      "code": "mi",
      "lang": "Maori",
      "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
      "word": "kahakore"
    },
    {
      "code": "mi",
      "lang": "Maori",
      "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
      "word": "mohemohe"
    },
    {
      "code": "mi",
      "lang": "Maori",
      "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
      "word": "ngoikore"
    },
    {
      "code": "mi",
      "lang": "Maori",
      "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
      "word": "paraheahea"
    },
    {
      "code": "no",
      "lang": "Norwegian",
      "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
      "word": "maktesløs"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
      "word": "bezsilny"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
      "word": "impotente"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "bessílʹnyj",
      "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
      "word": "бесси́льный"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "bespómoščnyj",
      "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
      "word": "беспо́мощный"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "némoščnyj",
      "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
      "word": "не́мощный"
    },
    {
      "code": "sh",
      "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
      "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
      "tags": [
        "Cyrillic"
      ],
      "word": "не̏моћан"
    },
    {
      "code": "sh",
      "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
      "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
      "tags": [
        "Cyrillic"
      ],
      "word": "обеснажен"
    },
    {
      "code": "sh",
      "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
      "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
      "tags": [
        "Cyrillic"
      ],
      "word": "бе̏спомоћан"
    },
    {
      "code": "sh",
      "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
      "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
      "tags": [
        "Roman"
      ],
      "word": "nȅmoćan"
    },
    {
      "code": "sh",
      "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
      "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
      "tags": [
        "Roman"
      ],
      "word": "obesnažen"
    },
    {
      "code": "sh",
      "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
      "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
      "tags": [
        "Roman"
      ],
      "word": "bȅspomoćan"
    },
    {
      "code": "sk",
      "lang": "Slovak",
      "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
      "word": "bezmocný"
    },
    {
      "code": "sl",
      "lang": "Slovene",
      "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
      "word": "nemočen"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
      "word": "impotente"
    },
    {
      "code": "txb",
      "lang": "Tocharian B",
      "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
      "word": "avaṣi"
    },
    {
      "code": "uk",
      "lang": "Ukrainian",
      "roman": "bezsýlyj",
      "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
      "word": "безси́лий"
    },
    {
      "code": "uk",
      "lang": "Ukrainian",
      "roman": "némičnyj",
      "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
      "word": "не́мічний"
    },
    {
      "code": "uk",
      "lang": "Ukrainian",
      "roman": "bezpómičnyj",
      "sense": "lacking sufficient power or strength",
      "word": "безпо́мічний"
    },
    {
      "code": "be",
      "lang": "Belarusian",
      "roman": "bjazuládny",
      "sense": "lacking legal authority",
      "word": "бязула́дны"
    },
    {
      "code": "be",
      "lang": "Belarusian",
      "roman": "njepravamócny",
      "sense": "lacking legal authority",
      "word": "неправамо́цны"
    },
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "nevalíden",
      "sense": "lacking legal authority",
      "word": "невали́ден"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "lacking legal authority",
      "word": "machteloos"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "lacking legal authority",
      "word": "voimaton"
    },
    {
      "code": "ka",
      "lang": "Georgian",
      "roman": "uʒalauplebo",
      "sense": "lacking legal authority",
      "word": "უძალაუფლებო"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "lacking legal authority",
      "word": "machtlos"
    },
    {
      "code": "grc",
      "lang": "Ancient Greek",
      "roman": "akratḗs",
      "sense": "lacking legal authority",
      "word": "ἀκρατής"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "lacking legal authority",
      "word": "tehetetlen"
    },
    {
      "code": "la",
      "lang": "Latin",
      "sense": "lacking legal authority",
      "word": "nequiens"
    },
    {
      "code": "la",
      "lang": "Latin",
      "sense": "lacking legal authority",
      "word": "impotens"
    },
    {
      "code": "mi",
      "lang": "Maori",
      "sense": "lacking legal authority",
      "word": "manakore"
    },
    {
      "code": "no",
      "lang": "Norwegian",
      "sense": "lacking legal authority",
      "word": "maktesløs"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "bezvlástnyj",
      "sense": "lacking legal authority",
      "word": "безвла́стный"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "nepravomóčnyj",
      "sense": "lacking legal authority",
      "word": "неправомо́чный"
    },
    {
      "code": "sh",
      "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
      "sense": "lacking legal authority",
      "tags": [
        "Cyrillic"
      ],
      "word": "не̏правомоћан"
    },
    {
      "code": "sh",
      "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
      "sense": "lacking legal authority",
      "tags": [
        "Roman"
      ],
      "word": "nȅpravomoćan"
    },
    {
      "code": "uk",
      "lang": "Ukrainian",
      "roman": "bezvládnyj",
      "sense": "lacking legal authority",
      "word": "безвла́дний"
    },
    {
      "code": "uk",
      "lang": "Ukrainian",
      "roman": "nepravočýnnyj",
      "sense": "lacking legal authority",
      "word": "неправочи́нний"
    },
    {
      "code": "uk",
      "lang": "Ukrainian",
      "roman": "nepravosýlʹnyj",
      "sense": "lacking legal authority",
      "word": "неправоси́льний"
    }
  ],
  "word": "powerless"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-04-26 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-04-21 using wiktextract (93a6c53 and 21a9316). 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.