defenceless

defenceless — adjective

1. not able to defend yourself from harm, danger, or attack when you have no streng

1.形容詞B2
釋義

not able to defend yourself from harm, danger, or attack when you have no strength, weapons, or help from others

例句

Folake felt defenceless when the aggressive dog ran toward her in the empty park.

The mountain village was defenceless against the flood because the old river wall had collapsed.

collocation: defenceless against [natural disaster]

同義詞
  • vulnerable

    broader meaning; can describe emotional, physical, or social weakness, not necessarily total inability to protect

  • helpless

    focuses on inability to act or change a situation, whereas defenceless focuses on lack of protection from outside threats

  • unprotected

    more neutral and less emotional; can be temporary or by choice, e.g. unprotected skin in the sun

  • exposed

    emphasises being out in the open and open to attack, often in a physical sense

反義詞
  • protected

    general opposite; having someone or something to keep you safe

  • armed

    specifically having weapons; the opposite of being defenceless in a physical conflict

用法筆記

Frequently followed by 'against' to specify the source of danger ('defenceless against the cold / an enemy / criticism'). Also common with verbs 'feel', 'leave', and 'be'. Describes both physical vulnerability (lack of weapons or protection) and emotional vulnerability (inability to cope with criticism or pressure).

常見錯誤

❌The old building stood defenceless.
✅The old building stood defenceless against the strong winds.
💡'defenceless' is normally followed by 'against' to specify the danger.