01
aussichtslos
hopeless
Without any hope or chance of success; futile or pointless.
example
Trotz der aussichtslosen Lage kämpften die Retter unermüdlich weiter.
Despite the hopeless situation, the rescuers kept fighting tirelessly.
aussichtslos
hopeless
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Meanings
Usage tips
Word structure
The word is made up of 'die Aussicht' (prospect/chance) and the ending '-los' (-less). Here, 'Aussicht' means 'chance' or 'prospect', and '-los' means 'without'. Literally, then, it means 'without a chance of success'.
EXAMPLE
Seine Bemühungen, das alte Auto zu reparieren, waren aussichtslos.
His efforts to repair the old car were hopeless.
Typical collocations
'Aussichtslos' (hopeless) is often combined with nouns that describe an effort or situation. Common combinations are 'eine aussichtslose Lage' (a hopeless situation), 'ein aussichtsloser Kampf' (a hopeless fight), or 'ein aussichtsloses Unterfangen' (a hopeless undertaking).
EXAMPLE
Sie befanden sich in einer aussichtslosen Situation, mitten im Sturm auf dem Meer.
They found themselves in a hopeless situation, in the middle of a storm at sea.
Sentence structure
As an adjective, 'aussichtslos' (hopeless) can either stand before a noun (attributive) or after a verb like 'sein' (to be) or 'scheinen' (to seem) (predicative). Before a noun, it must be declined.
EXAMPLE
Es war ein aussichtsloser Versuch, ihn zu überzeugen.
It was a hopeless attempt to convince him.
Compare with
aussichtslos vs unmöglich
impossible
'unmöglich' and 'aussichtslos' can both describe that something will not succeed. 'unmöglich' means that something is not doable at all or cannot happen. 'aussichtslos' means that there is no realistic hope of success, even if one could theoretically try. Learners may confuse the words because both talk negatively about a chance. If something is fundamentally not possible, 'unmöglich' fits. If an attempt no longer has any hope, 'aussichtslos' fits.
aussichtslos
Nach drei Gegentoren wirkte das Spiel für unsere Mannschaft fast aussichtslos.
After conceding three goals, the game seemed almost hopeless for our team.
unmöglich
Ohne Schlüssel ist es unmöglich, die Tür zu öffnen.
Without a key, it is impossible to open the door.
In real life
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