hopeless
[adjective]
Synonyms: pointless, futile, impossible, no-win, unattainable, useless, vain

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Antonyms: hopeful
Contrasted words: cheerful, assured, confident, optimistic, sanguine, sure, correctable, curable, medicable, remediable, reparable
Related Idioms: beyond hope (or remedy or repair), beyond human aid
Related Words: gloomy, glum, morose, insoluble, incorrigible, irredeemable

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English Thesaurus: pointless, futile, useless, hopeless, be a waste of time/money/effort, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

hope‧less S3 /ˈhəʊpləs $ ˈhoʊp-/ adjective
[Word Family: noun: hope, hopefulness ≠ hopelessness, hopeful; verb: hope; adverb: hopefully ≠ hopelessly; adjective: hopeful ≠ hopeless]

1. if something that you try to do is hopeless, there is no possibility of it being successful:
We tried to stop the flames from spreading, but we knew it was hopeless.
Getting your work published often seems a hopeless task.
I kept on struggling forward, even though I knew it was hopeless.

2. a hopeless situation is so bad that there is no chance of success or improvement:
The situation is not as hopeless as it might seem.
the millions who live in hopeless poverty

3. especially British English informal very bad Synonym : terrible:
I’m a hopeless cook.
hopeless at (doing) something
My brother was always pretty hopeless at ball games.
hopeless with
I’m hopeless with machinery.
I’ve got a hopeless memory.
The public transport system was absolutely hopeless.

4. feeling no hope:
I began to feel lonely and hopeless.

5. used, often humorously, to say that someone’s bad behaviour cannot be changed:
Oh, James, you really are a hopeless case (=it seems impossible to change your behaviour)!
hopeless romantic/materialist/drunk etc
She was a hopeless romantic, always convinced that one day she would meet the man of her dreams.
—hopelessness noun [uncountable]

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

hopeless
adj.
I. giving no hope
VERBS be, look, seem
ADV. completely, quite, utterly The situation seemed completely hopeless.
apparently, seemingly

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

hopeless
II. feeling no hope
VERBS feel She felt lonely and completely hopeless.
ADV. completely | rather

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

hopeless
III. very bad
VERBS be
ADV. absolutely | pretty He's a pretty hopeless dancer.
PREP. at I'm absolutely hopeless at languages.
with I've always been hopeless with machinery.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

hopeless
adjective
BAD: I think the students will feel hopeless because they have already tried their best and failed.
GOOD: I think the students will feel disheartened because they have already tried their best and failed.

Usage Note:
Hopeless is usually used to describe a situation, not a person: 'The firemen tried to get the blaze under control, but it was hopeless.' When you say that a person is hopeless, you mean that they are very bad at something: 'He's hopeless at remembering names.'
To describe someone who feels that they have little or no chance of success, especially because they have already experienced failure or disappointment, use dispirited, dejected, disheartened, discouraged, despondent or demoralized : 'Having lost ten matches in a row, the team felt completely demoralized.'

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Common Errors ▲

pointless not likely to have a useful result:
She knew it would be pointless to argue with him.
The meeting was a pointless exercise.
futile completely pointless because there is no chance at all of being successful:
She shut the door in a futile attempt to keep the smell out.
Their efforts proved futile (=did not have any success).
useless not useful or effective in any way:
I knew it was useless to try to explain to him what had happened.
The map we had been given was useless.
hopeless having no hope of being successful or effective:
It was a hopeless task.
He was jumping up and down in a hopeless attempt to keep warm.
be a waste of time/money/effort to be not worth the time, money etc that you use because you do not achieve anything:
The whole process was a complete waste of time.
The scheme was a waste of money.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

terrible/awful (also dreadful especially British English) very bad:
The journey was terrible – it took six hours.
The food was good but we had terrible service.
It’s such an awful programme! How can you watch it?
He looked dreadful.
horrible very bad and unpleasant – used especially when something has a strong effect on you and you feel shocked, annoyed, or sick:
This soup tastes horrible.
I got a horrible shock when I saw the bill.
a horrible accident
a horrible thing to say to someone
appalling terrible – especially in a way that is shocking. Appalling is stronger and a little more formal than terrible or horrible:
The refugees are living in appalling conditions.
The teacher said my handwriting was appalling.
disgusting terrible – used about a taste, smell, habit etc, often one that makes you feel sick:
The smell was disgusting and I had to go out.
Do you have to bite your nails? It’s a disgusting habit.
lousy informal terrible – used especially to express annoyance:
I’ve had a lousy day at the office.
This area is a lousy place to live.
hopeless very bad and difficult – used when there is no chance of success or improvement:
We were trying to pay off our debts but it was a hopeless situation.
He was given the almost hopeless task of trying to negotiate a ceasefire.
diabolical British English extremely bad – used to express great disapproval of an action or event:
The prices are diabolical.
a diabolical waste of money
McAndrew gave a diabolical performance on Saturday.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲