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 Despite Sarah’s flapping her cardigan in the air like a hungover color-guard girl at a homecoming parade, the hapless Irish naval men sent to save her remained beyond the bobbing waves. — Claire Carusillo, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026 The Tigers had an exhibition against Southeastern College, and sure enough, Skubal mowed down those hapless young hitters. — Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2026 The movie focuses on a murder of a shepherd unraveled by his flock, which aids a somewhat hapless rural policeman in solving the crime. — David Folkenflik, NPR, 23 July 2026 The show, which is filmed and set in Stockport, England, follows Wood as Gemma Moscrip, a woman coming to terms with life as a mother, supported by her hapless father (Morrissey). — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 15 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for hapless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hapless
  1. unfortunate
  2. unhappy
  3. luckless
  4. disastrous
Adjective
  • There are no Cubs players involved in the TikTok series, the Cubs told me, which is unfortunate since Crow-Armstrong has acting in his DNA — his mother and father are both actors — and probably would be at least as good as Damon.
    — Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Every mosquito has a type Count me among the unfortunate souls who are mosquito magnets; something about my body chemistry is irresistible to those tiny bloodsucking fiends.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of unfortunate
Adjective
  • Before long, the book moves back in time to shadow the king himself, an unhappy leader thrust into his role by chance and now on the brink of death.
    — Jasmine Vojdani, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Age came with evidence — every mistake, playoff loss and unhappy ending.
    — Jason Lloyd, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of unhappy
Adjective
  • 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
  • The one in which his tiny team of negotiators surrendered to the radicals ruling that luckless nation.
    — Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 20 June 2026
Definition of luckless
Adjective
  • Arjun Poudel, a health reporter in Nepal, was commuting to the offices of the Kathmandu Post, in the country’s capital, when messages started coming in about a disastrous flood in his home town, close to the border with China.
    — Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Since a disastrous debut, the rookie right-hander has allowed just two runs over his last 9 2/3 innings with 15 strikeouts.
    — Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of disastrous

Browse Nearby Words

haphazardry
hapless
happed
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Cite this Entry

“Hapless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hapless. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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