hopelessly

UK: ˈhəʊpləsli | US: ˈhoʊpləsli

Definition

  1. adv. in a manner without hope or possibility of improvement

  2. adv. to an extreme degree (e.g., "hopelessly lost")

Structure
hope <desire>less <without>ly <adverb suffix>
Etymology

The word "hopelessly" combines three morphemes:

  1. "Hope" (from Old English hopa, meaning "expectation or desire for a positive outcome").
  2. "-less" (a suffix from Old English -lēas, meaning "without").
  3. "-ly" (an adverbial suffix from Old English -līce, turning adjectives into adverbs).

The progression is logical: "hope" (desire) → "hopeless" (without desire/possibility) → "hopelessly" (in a manner devoid of hope). The suffix "-ly" extends the adjective "hopeless" into an adverb, emphasizing the manner of an action.

Examples

  1. She sighed hopelessly after failing the exam for the third time.

  2. The hiker was hopelessly lost in the dense forest.

  3. He stared hopelessly at the broken machine, knowing it couldn’t be fixed.

  4. The team played hopelessly against the champions, losing by a huge margin.

  5. Despite her efforts, the project seemed hopelessly behind schedule.