hapless

[hap-lis]

adjective

1. unlucky; luckless; unfortunate.

   Synonyms: pitiable, pathetic, forlorn, wretched, woebegone, miserable, miserable

hapless

/ ˈhæplɪs /

adjective

1. unfortunate; wretched

Other Word Forms

• haplessly adverb
• haplessness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of hapless¹

First recorded in 1560–70; hap ¹ + -less

Example Sentences

Mr. Molesley endeared audiences with his hapless but well-meaning misadventures in the series, eventually transitioning from footman to local schoolteacher.

From Los Angeles Times

If Tavernier is so good, why did he not start him ahead of the hapless Aarons?

From BBC

Covino is seemingly more smooth and together, though riddled with insecurities, while Marvin initially appears hapless and vulnerable, with an emotional intelligence that reveals him to be savvier than he first appears.

From Los Angeles Times

“Not my department, of course,” he replies, haplessly.

From Los Angeles Times

To view “Cloud” as mere commentary on 21st-century greed is to miss the existential nightmare that Yoshii’s armed, bloodthirsty and mostly hapless pursuers represent: regular folk driven to kill after a humiliating experience.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• unlucky 
• woeful