(むりょく)

むりょく
noun, na-adjective
powerlessness, helplessness
descriptive
1. powerlessness, helplessness, impotence
The state of lacking power, ability, or influence to affect a situation. Often conveys a sense of frustration or resignation.
自分(じぶん)無力(むりょく)(かん)じた
I felt my own powerlessness.
In the face of disaster, humans are powerless.
I couldn't stop crying from the helplessness of wanting to help but being unable to do anything.

Common patterns

Used as a noun and also as a na-adjective (無力(むりょく)な). The form 無力(むりょく)さ (with the nominalizer さ) is very common for expressing the feeling of powerlessness.

Usage

Often appears in reflective or emotional contexts where someone confronts their inability to change a situation. Common in personal essays, speeches, and narratives about natural disasters, illness, or social injustice.

Common collocations

  • 無力(むりょく)(かん)じる: to feel powerlessness
  • 無力(むりょく)自分(じぶん): one's powerless self
  • 無力(むりょく)()ちひしがれる: to be crushed by helplessness
  • 無力(むりょく)(かん): feeling of powerlessness