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# hopeless

adjective (hopeless; more hopeless, most hopeless)

«hopeless» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. Without any hope; when there is no chance that things will get better. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/hopeless/#m1)
2. Very bad at something: «I'm hopeless at drawing». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/hopeless/#m2)
3. Impossible to deal with or solve: «a hopeless mess». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/hopeless/#m3)

### In the lessons

In stories it shows despair: «a hopeless situation», «felt hopeless». In everyday talk people jokingly say they are «hopeless at» a skill. In wellbeing lessons: if you feel hopeless for a long time, talk to a trusted adult — things can get better.

### Examples

- The game looked hopeless when we were five goals down. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/hopeless/#x1)
- I'm hopeless at maths, but I'm getting better. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/hopeless/#x2)
- The lost sailors felt hopeless on the empty sea. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/hopeless/#x3)
- My brother is hopeless at keeping secrets. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/hopeless/#x4)
- The knot was a hopeless tangle. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/hopeless/#x5)
- Never feel hopeless; ask someone for help. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/hopeless/#x6)
- Dad is hopeless at remembering birthdays. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/hopeless/#x7)
- Of course he felt quite hopeless. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/hopeless/#x8)

### Note

«-less» means «without»: hope → hopeless (without hope), like «careless», «homeless». Opposite: «hopeful». Adverb: «hopelessly» («hopelessly lost»). «Hopeless at» + a skill is informal and often not meant seriously.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «hopeless» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/hopeless/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«hopeless» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/hopeless.html) on Mova free.