as in unfortunate
having, prone to, or marked by bad luck
the hapless motorist had barely paid his bill and driven away from the body shop when a truck sideswiped his car
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Recent Examples of hapless
Nicely shot by cinematographer Jackson Hunt with a constantly moving camera, Bunny has a talented leading man in Stark, whose hapless expressions and preoccupation with staying alive and skirting the law keep us royally entertained along with the rest of this rag-tag ensemble.
—
Pete Hammond, Deadline, 14 Mar. 2025
The hapless loves do awaken some 2 1/2 hours into a 3 1/2-hour performance, becoming more serious, if not that much less superficial.
—Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2025
Of course, people love making memes that portray their political adversaries as hapless and incompetent.
—Ali Breland, The Atlantic, 8 Mar. 2025
The clan of oddballs and down-and-outs has more than a little in common with the Kim family in Parasite, including Song as a hapless patriarch.
Stream on Max
Mother (2009)
The opening and closing scenes of Bong’s masterful 2009 film are, swear to God, among the greatest bookends in movie history.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hapless
Pete Hammond, Deadline, 14 Mar. 2025
The hapless loves do awaken some 2 1/2 hours into a 3 1/2-hour performance, becoming more serious, if not that much less superficial.
—Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2025
Of course, people love making memes that portray their political adversaries as hapless and incompetent.
—Ali Breland, The Atlantic, 8 Mar. 2025
The clan of oddballs and down-and-outs has more than a little in common with the Kim family in Parasite, including Song as a hapless patriarch.
Stream on Max
Mother (2009)
The opening and closing scenes of Bong’s masterful 2009 film are, swear to God, among the greatest bookends in movie history.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hapless
Cite this Entry
“Hapless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hapless. Accessed 31 Mar. 2025.
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