Link Centre Dictionary

hapless

hap·less

UK/ˈhæplɪs/ US/ˈhæpləs/ uncommon

adjective

1.

deserving or inciting pity

  • “a hapless victim”
  • “miserable victims of war”
  • “the shabby room struck her as extraordinarily pathetic” Galsworthy
  • “piteous appeals for help”
  • “pitiable homeless children”
  • “a pitiful fate”
  • “Oh, you poor thing”
  • “his poor distorted limbs”
  • “a wretched life”
Synonyms
Similar

Origin

From about 1400, from hap (“luck”) + -less.

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.