Hapless
/ˈhæpləs/
adjectiveB2
Definition
Hapless describes a person or thing that often has bad luck or faces problems without meaning to. It is used when someone seems to have many difficulties or troubles that happen by chance, not because of their own actions.
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See It in Action
Describing a person who is unlucky or has bad luck
- •The hapless traveler missed every bus and train during his trip.
- •She is hapless in love, always meeting the wrong people.
- •The hapless player kept losing every game despite trying hard.
Describing a situation or thing that is unfortunate or unlucky
- •The hapless team was defeated by a much stronger opponent.
- •A hapless mistake caused the project to fail.
- •The hapless victim was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "hapless" like "unlucky" (A2 word), but with a stronger feeling that bad things keep happening to the person
- ✓Picture someone walking under a rain cloud that follows them everywhere, even when the sun shines for others
- ✓It's the feeling when you try your best but things still go wrong, and you feel a little sad or frustrated
- ✓Sounds like "HAP-less" → imagine someone missing a "happy" moment because of bad luck
- ✓Think of a character in a story who always faces trouble, like a clumsy person who drops everything by accident
- ✓NOT like "careless" (meaning someone does something wrong on purpose or by mistake), "hapless" means bad luck, not fault
- ✓NOT like "unhappy" (meaning feeling sad), "hapless" is about bad luck, not feelings
- ✓NOT like "fortunate" (lucky), hapless is the opposite — always having bad luck
- ✓NOT like "accident-prone" (caused by own mistakes), hapless means unlucky by chance, not because of own errors
Try Other Words
- •Unfortunate: having bad luck or bad results (Use when you want a softer or more formal word than hapless)
- •Ill-fated: destined to have bad luck or failure (Use when talking about events or people with very bad outcomes)
- •Jinxed: believed to have bad luck because of a curse (Use in informal or superstitious contexts)
- •Luckless: without luck (Use as a direct synonym, but less common)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: "hap-" (old word meaning chance or luck) + suffix "-less" (without)
- •Etymology: From Old English "hap" meaning chance, luck, or fortune, combined with "-less" meaning without
- •Historical development: Used since the 1500s to describe someone without luck or fortune
- •Modern usage: Used mostly in writing or formal speech to describe someone or something very unlucky or unfortunate
- •Key insight: The word focuses on bad luck, not on mistakes or feelings
Reflect & Connect
•Can you think of a time when someone you know was hapless? What happened to them?
•How is being hapless different from making mistakes? Can a person be hapless but careful?
Fill in the blanks
1.The hapless actor forgot his lines and ___ the whole play.
2.Even though she studied hard, the hapless student failed the test ___.
3.The hapless driver got stuck in traffic ___ and missed the meeting.
4.Unlike a careless person, a hapless person has bad luck ___ because of their own actions.
5.The hapless team lost the game ___ because the other team was much stronger.
6.People often feel sorry for the hapless victims who suffer ___ through no fault of their own.
7.The phrase "hapless hero" means someone who tries hard but ___ bad luck all the time.