Hapless
Word: hapless (adjective)
Associations
"Hapless" means unlucky or unfortunate. It describes someone or something that often has bad luck or problems.
- The hapless traveler missed his flight because of heavy traffic. Here, "hapless" shows the traveler had bad luck.
- The hapless team lost every game this season. This means the team was unlucky or unsuccessful.
- She felt hapless after losing her keys for the third time. It shows she is unlucky in small daily matters.
A synonym is "unfortunate," but "hapless" often has a stronger feeling of ongoing bad luck or helplessness, while "unfortunate" can be more neutral or temporary.
Substitution
You can use words like:
- unlucky (similar meaning, more common)
- unfortunate (a bit more formal)
- unlucky or ill-fated (stronger sense of bad luck) Changing the word may change how strong the feeling of bad luck is.
Deconstruction
- Root: "hap" means chance or luck (old English/Scandinavian origin).
- Prefix: none.
- Suffix: "-less" means without. So, "hapless" literally means "without luck" or "without good chance."
Inquiry
- Can you think of a time when you or someone else was hapless?
- How is "hapless" different from just having a bad day?
- Can "hapless" be used for objects or only people? Why?
Model: gpt-4.1-mini