What does hopelessness mean?
Hopelessness is the state of having no hope that a difficult situation will improve or produce a successful outcome. It is commonly used to describe a person’s emotional condition, as in a sense of hopelessness, but it can also refer to the apparent futility of a situation, a project, or a course of action. The word is usually uncountable and has a serious, often literary tone. Unlike simple pessimism, hopelessness suggests a more comprehensive loss of confidence in any possible remedy, though the degree of helplessness implied can vary with context. It is particularly associated with sadness, despair, and helplessness, and is often used when discussing social conditions, personal crises, or apparently insoluble problems. The related adjective hopeless describes a person, thing, or situation marked by this absence of expectation.
nounThe state of being without hope or expectation of a successful or improved outcome. It conveys a sense of despair, helplessness, or resignation in the face of difficulty.
- A lack of hope or expectation of a successful or improved outcome.
- A feeling of despair, helplessness, or resignation about a situation.
"She looked at the endless delays and felt a deep sense of hopelessness."
"The growing hopelessness in the community prompted volunteers to organize additional support services."
"Rather than accept the hopelessness of the situation, she sought a second opinion."
Rarely used; hopelessness is normally treated as an uncountable noun.
"The novel explores the different hopelessnesses experienced by people facing irreversible loss."
Hopelessness names more than simple pessimism: it is the feeling that no realistic effort can change the outcome.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does hopelessness come from?
Hopelessness is an English formation based on hopeless, which combines hope with the suffix -less, meaning “without.” The noun suffix -ness was then added to form hopelessness. The underlying word hope comes from Old English and is related to cognates in several Germanic languages.
Related word forms
How hopelessness is actually used
Usually an uncountable noun describing a condition or emotional state. It is formal in register and often carries a strong implication of helplessness or despair rather than merely cautious pessimism.
Easily confused with hopelessness
Hopeless is an adjective describing something regarded as hopeless, while hopelessness is a noun naming the emotional state of feeling without hope.