DEFENSELESS Synonyms: 49 Similar and Opposite Words

defenseless

adjective

Definition of defenseless

as in vulnerable

lacking protection from danger or resistance against attack the lack of warm clothing left the hikers defenseless against the unexpected cold snap

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of defenseless In the face of new attack vectors, cargo ships are completely defenseless. — Craig Hooper, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026 Worse, during removal, structures requiring dampers are essentially as defenseless against even normal winds as a car without brakes. — New Atlas, 24 July 2026 Both lifestyles, as Tubbs saw them, were about having principles, living for something bigger than yourself, protecting the defenseless—both righteous armies marching under different flags. — Literary Hub, 10 July 2026 Legal battles can discourage farmers Mora said the years-long litigation has left him feeling frustrated and defenseless. — Claire Rush, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026 Scheffler, thanks to a birdie barrage on a soft, defenseless golf course, needed two more at the 17th and 18th to equal Furyk’s 12-under 58. — Nick Pietruszkiewicz, Hartford Courant, 26 June 2026 White warmly greeted the controversial Tate brothers, Andrew and Tristan, at an event in Las Vegas for Power Slap—another combat-sports offering, founded by White in 2022, involving one person striking their defenseless opponent with all their might. — Sean Gregory, Time, 26 May 2026 If one bomb hit just right, all military communications could go down, leaving the entire country essentially defenseless. — Laura Isensee, Scientific American, 18 May 2026 The play was widely denounced after Greig bloodied a defenseless Walker with an uppercut to the face while Walker was held in a headlock by another Senators player. — James Mirtle, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for defenseless

Adjective

And while global child mortality data for 2025 won’t be available for several months, health officials are already bracing for a surge in deaths among the world’s youngest and most vulnerable.

— ABC News, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026
District leaders warned that the move could leave CPS vulnerable to midyear cuts if the money doesn’t materialize.

— Kate Armanini, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of vulnerable

Adjective

And the sport — players in uniform and executives in suits alike — all march toward the cliff in shackles of their own design, seemingly helpless to find a compromise.

— Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 5 Aug. 2026
The helpless young tailor of twenty-one years of age had a keen nose.

— Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of helpless

Adjective

Those with preexisting conditions are most susceptible to serious illness from Vibrio vulnificus, the Louisiana Health Department said.

— Faris Tanyos, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026
Although the precise mechanisms remain incompletely understood, evidence indicates that exposure to components of tick saliva stimulates the production of IgE antibodies against alpha-gal in susceptible individuals.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of susceptible

Adjective

The installations at the 500 delis were completed in April, but the city has not committed any additional funds towards equipping the thousands of bodegas that remain unprotected, Mateo said.

— Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 7 Aug. 2026
How to see the eclipse Never look directly at the sun with unprotected eyes.

— Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of unprotected

Browse Nearby Words

defense

defenseless

defenselessness

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“Defenseless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defenseless. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of defenseless

adjective

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