hapless

adjective

ˈha-pləs How to pronounce hapless (audio)
Definition of haplessnext
as in unfortunate
having, prone to, or marked by bad luck the hapless motorist had barely paid his bill and driven away from the body shop when a truck sideswiped his car

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of hapless This, a 6-3 loss to the hapless Washington Nationals, was quintessential Phillies baseball. — Matt Gelb, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026 The evolution of terrorism Law enforcement spends much of its focus on plots that happened and attacks that became near misses through hapless bad actors. — Mark Morales, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2026 Number 10 hits back as a hapless Prime Minister plays his hand in the age of regime decapitation. — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 3 Sep. 2026 The clever premise provides the opportunity for plenty of high-octane action sequences, including fistfights, shootouts, explosions and car chases, with the hapless Ben providing comic relief from Hank’s Terminator-like indestructibility. — Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hapless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hapless
  1. unfortunate
  2. unhappy
  3. luckless
  4. disastrous
Adjective
  • Neighbors shocked about stabbing Neighbors say Thomas was known to have mental health issues and called the stabbing unfortunate.
    — Bryan Lynn, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • To make matters worse, India’s Supreme Court, another vital democratic institution, has also played an unfortunate role in this train of events.
    — Pratap Bhanu Mehta, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of unfortunate
Adjective
  • Someone still must understand why that client is unhappy and rebuild confidence.
    — Adam Povlitz, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Even residents who are unhappy with most aspects of the rezoning admit that the studios were a win.
    — Kim Velsey, Curbed, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of unhappy
Adjective
  • During these walking meditations my notebook starts to feel suspiciously similar to the luckless young climber’s selfie camera.
    — Brian Laidlaw, Longreads, 1 Sep. 2026
  • This year, the final was between Kerry, historically the sport’s most successful side, and Mayo, one of Ireland’s smaller counties by population and, in football terms, the most luckless.
    — Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 27 July 2026
Definition of luckless
Adjective
  • But real power, particularly in numbers, can make things happen or stop really disastrous things from happening.
    — Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The 46-year-old was dismissed from the Mets halfway through the 2026 season after a disastrous start, which included a 12-game losing streak in April.
    — Frederick Sutton Sinclair, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of disastrous

Browse Nearby Words

haphazardry
hapless
happed
See all Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Hapless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hapless. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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