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 verzweifelt
desperate
Both words can be used in connection with a difficult undertaking. “Aussichtslos” assesses the situation itself as having no realistic chance of success. “Verzweifelt,” on the other hand, describes an emotional reaction or a last attempt made out of hopelessness; such an attempt can be made despite having little chance of success.
aussichtslos
Nach dem großen Rückstand schien der Versuch, das Ziel noch zu erreichen, aussichtslos.
After falling so far behind, the attempt to reach the finish line seemed hopeless.
verzweifelt
Die Läuferin unternahm einen verzweifelten letzten Versuch, das Ziel noch zu erreichen.
The runner made one desperate last attempt to reach the finish line.
In real life
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