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Helpless vs Listless - What's the difference?

helpless | listless |

As adjectives the difference between helpless and listless

is that helpless is unable to defend oneself or to act without help while listless is lacking energy, enthusiasm, or liveliness.

helpless

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Unable to defend oneself or to act without help.
  • * 1995 , (Bryan Adams),
  • Then when you find yourself lyin' helpless in her arms
    You know you really love a woman
  • Uncontrollable.
  • listless

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Lacking energy, enthusiasm, or liveliness.
  • * 1818 , , Frankenstein , ch. 18:
  • I passed whole days on the lake alone in a little boat, watching the clouds and listening to the rippling of the waves, silent and listless .
  • * 1861 , , The Stokesley Secret , ch. 6:
  • What an entirely different set of beings were those Stokesley children in lesson-time. . . . Poor, listless , stolid, deplorable logs, with bowed backs and crossed ankles, pipy voices and heavy eyes!
  • * 1901 , , The Hero , ch. 21:
  • The scene with Mrs. Wallace had broken his spirit, and he was listless now, indifferent to what happened.
  • * 2005 Nov. 29, Aryn Baker, " John Hardy: Bali Guy," Time :
  • Listless , inattentive, distracted,” he recited. “A daydreamer. Tries his best, but is too slow.”

    Derived terms

    * listlessly * listlessness

    Anagrams

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