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Helpless vs Vulnerable - What's the difference?

helpless | vulnerable | Synonyms |

Vulnerable is a synonym of helpless.



As adjectives the difference between helpless and vulnerable

is that helpless is unable to defend oneself or to act without help while vulnerable is more or most likely to be exposed to the chance of being attacked or harmed, either physically or emotionally.

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.
  • vulnerable

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • More or most likely to be exposed to the chance of being attacked or harmed, either physically or emotionally.
  • * {{quote-news, year=2012, date=June 29, author=Kevin Mitchell, work=the Guardian
  • , title= Roger Federer back from Wimbledon 2012 brink to beat Julien Benneteau , passage=The elimination of Federer after Nadal's loss to Lukas Rosol would have created mild panic among the fans of these gloriously gifted but now clearly vulnerable geniuses. }}
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-07-19, author= Mark Tran
  • , volume=189, issue=6, page=1, magazine=(The Guardian Weekly) , title= Denied an education by war , passage=One particularly damaging, but often ignored, effect of conflict on education is the proliferation of attacks on schools
  • (computing) More likely to be exposed to malicious programs or viruses.
  • Synonyms

    * (exposed to attack) defenceless, helpless, powerless, unguarded, unprotected, weak

    Antonyms

    * (exposed to attack) durable, indomitable, invincible, invulnerable, powerful, strong

    Derived terms

    * vulnerability * vulnerably