powerlessness

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The anguish he feels, his powerlessness to control his responses, his shame and frustration—at Katie and himself—are expressed with such raw feeling that the performance can be hard to watch.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026

"Everything should have led you to resign," she added, pointing to the government's "powerlessness".

From Barron's • Jan. 23, 2026

That tension between omnipotence and powerlessness is captured in a word: adolescence.

From Salon • Dec. 14, 2025

As a Palestinian, Abdel Aziz is resigned to his powerlessness.

From BBC • Sep. 21, 2025

The powerlessness of dictionaries to enforce the prescriptivists’ dream of preventing linguistic change does not mean that the dictionaries are doomed to preside over a race to the bottom.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker