hopeless
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hopeless
Describes a situation, person, or condition in which there is no prospect of improvement or success.
Die Lage der eingeschlossenen Bergleute schien hoffnungslos.
The situation of the trapped miners seemed hopeless.
The word is composed of 'Hoffnung' (hope) and the ending '-los' (-less). The ending '-los' means 'without', so 'hoffnungslos' literally means 'without hope'. You can also find this pattern in words like 'hilflos' (helpless) or 'sinnlos' (pointless).
Nach stundenlanger Suche war die Situation hoffnungslos.
After hours of searching, the situation was hopeless.
'Hoffnungslos' can stand as an adjective before a noun or be used with verbs such as 'sein' (to be), 'scheinen' (to seem), or 'wirken' (to appear). In both cases, it describes a state with no prospect of success.
Das war ein hoffnungsloser Versuch, das Auto zu starten.
That was a hopeless attempt to start the car.
In its main meaning, 'hoffnungslos' is often combined with abstract nouns that describe a difficult situation. Typical collocations are 'eine hoffnungslose Situation' (a hopeless situation), 'ein hoffnungsloser Kampf' (a hopeless fight), or 'ein hoffnungsloser Zustand' (a hopeless condition).
Die Ärzte kämpften einen hoffnungslosen Kampf gegen die Krankheit.
The doctors fought a hopeless fight against the disease.
The colloquial phrase 'ein hoffnungsloser Fall sein' (to be a hopeless case) describes a person who is extremely untalented or incorrigible in a particular matter. It is often used with a wink.
Wenn es um Technik geht, bin ich ein hoffnungsloser Fall.
When it comes to technology, I'm a hopeless case.
Colloquially, 'hoffnungslos' can also intensify a quality, often in an affectionate, ironic way. Typical examples are 'ein hoffnungsloser Romantiker' (a hopeless romantic) or 'ein hoffnungsloser Optimist' (a hopeless optimist).
Er glaubt immer an das Gute im Menschen, er ist ein hoffnungsloser Optimist.
He always believes in the good in people; he's a hopeless optimist.
desperate
'verzweifelt' and 'hoffnungslos' both have to do with a lack of hope. 'verzweifelt' often describes a person's feeling: they are under great emotional strain and no longer know what to do. It can also describe an action that someone takes as a last attempt. 'hoffnungslos' is more likely to describe a situation, condition, or chance where improvement or success seems impossible. Learners may confuse the words because both sound negative and strong. As a simple guide: a person feels 'verzweifelt'; a situation seems 'hoffnungslos'.
Nach dem starken Regen war das Fußballspiel auf dem Platz hoffnungslos.
After the heavy rain, the soccer game on the field was hopeless.
Die Mutter suchte verzweifelt nach dem verlorenen Schlüssel.
The mother searched desperately for the lost key.