/'həʊplɪs; `hoplɪs/
adj
1 most unlikely to improve, succeed, be settled, etc; causing despair 没有希望的; 令人绝望的
*a hopeless situation, struggle, attempt, etc 没有希望的局势、斗争、尝试等
* It's hopeless trying to convince her. 要说服她是没有希望的.
* Most of the students are making good progress but Jeremy seems a hopeless case, ie he cannot or will not learn anything. 大多数学生进步都很快, 但杰里米却似乎无可救药.
2 ~ (at sth) (infml 口) (of a person) lacking in ability or skill; incompetent （指人）无能的, 无技巧的, 不能胜任的
*a hopeless cook, teacher, etc 滥竽充数的厨子、教员等
* He's hopeless at maths. 他对数学一窍不通.

adj
if something that you try to do is hopeless, there is no possibility of it being successful
　We tried to stop the flames from spreading, but we knew it was hopeless.
　Getting your work published often seems a hopeless task .
　I kept on struggling forward, even though I knew it was hopeless .
a hopeless situation is so bad that there is no chance of success or improvement
　The situation is not as hopeless as it might seem.
　the millions who live in hopeless poverty
especially BrE informal very bad
= terrible
　I'm a hopeless cook.
hopeless at (doing) sth
　My brother was always pretty hopeless at ball games.
hopeless with
　I'm hopeless with machinery.
　I've got a hopeless memory.
　The public transport system was absolutely hopeless.
feeling no hope
　I began to feel lonely and hopeless.
used, often humorously, to say that someone's bad behaviour cannot be changed
　Oh, James, you really are a hopeless case (=it seems impossible to change your behaviour) !
hopeless romantic/materialist/drunk etc
　She was a hopeless romantic, always convinced that one day she would meet the man of her dreams.
>hopelessnessn[U]