Etymology

hopeless

hope·less
H4O1P3E1L1E1S1S1

Today it means: Without hope; despairing; not expecting anything positive. Full definition →

Proto-Germanic *lausaz ← Proto-Indo-European *lewHs- ← English hope
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The story

  1. Proto-West Germanic*tōhopōn
  2. Old Englishtōhopa
  3. Old Englishhopa
  4. Middle Englishhope
  5. Englishhope
  6. Proto-Indo-European*lewh₁-
  7. Proto-Indo-European*lewHs-
  8. Proto-Germanic*leusaną
  9. Proto-Germanic*lausaz
  10. English todayhopeless

From hope + -less. Compare Swedish hopplös.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.