hopelessness

hopelessness — noun

1. The emotional state of believing that nothing good can ever happen again, leavin

1.名詞B2
釋義

The emotional state of believing that nothing good can ever happen again, leaving a person with no expectation that a situation will improve.

例句

After three failed treatments, the hopelessness in Priya's eyes told the doctor everything.

hopelessness in [sb]'s eyes — observable sign of emotion

The village faced the flood with hopelessness, as they had no resources to rebuild.

faced [situation] with hopelessness — prepositional pattern

同義詞
  • despair

    More intense and momentary; describes a sudden loss of hope in a specific situation rather than an ongoing state.

  • despondency

    Less intense; a low-spirited, discouraged condition that may be temporary.

  • discouragement

    Milder still; arises from specific setbacks and can be reversed.

反義詞
  • hope

    The direct opposite — expectation that things will get better.

  • optimism

    A broader positive outlook rather than situation-specific hope.

文法句型

a feeling/sense of hopelessness

hopelessness + in + [body part / expression]

用法筆記

Usually uncountable; common in psychological or emotional contexts. Often paired with 'a feeling/sense of — ' to introduce the abstract state.

常見錯誤

❌I have hopelessness about the future.
✅I feel hopelessness about the future.
💡'have hopelessness' sounds unnatural; use 'feel' or 'experience' instead.

2. The complete inability to perform a particular type of task or activity, no matt

2.名詞C1
釋義

The complete inability to perform a particular type of task or activity, no matter how much effort is made to learn or improve.

例句

Ravi's hopelessness at cooking was famous among his friends — he once burned water.

hopelessness at [activity] — preposition at for skill domains

The coach finally accepted Yara's hopelessness at tennis and asked her to try swimming instead.

[possessive] + hopelessness at [activity] — common possessive prepositional pattern

同義詞
  • ineptitude

    More formal and clinical; often used in workplace or professional evaluations.

  • incompetence

    Stronger judgement; implies a failure to meet basic standards rather than simple lack of skill.

  • uselessness

    Harsher and more informal; carries a dismissive tone.

反義詞
  • skill

    The direct opposite — developed ability in a particular area.

  • competence

    The state of having adequate ability to perform a task.

文法句型

hopelessness + at + [activity]

[possessive] + hopelessness + at + [activity]

用法筆記

Always followed by 'at' + a specific activity domain. Never used with 'of' ('hopelessness at cooking' not 'hopelessness of cooking'). This sense is informal; in formal writing, use 'lack of ability' or 'ineptitude'.

常見錯誤

❌His hopelessness of cooking was clear.
✅His hopelessness at cooking was clear.
💡Use 'at' not 'of' to specify the skill domain.