helplessness

noun

1. (uncountable, usually)The state of being helpless.

   “Near-synonyms: powerlessness, impotence”

   “From the most ancient times to the present, in the crudest primitive tribe or the most magnificently ornamented civilization, man has found himself in a state of awed helplessness when confronted by the phenomena of strange illnesses or aberrations.”

   “ADAM: 'You are faced with overwhelming power. Accept your helplessness.'”

2. (uncountable, usually)A feeling of inadequacy or impotence.

   “Captain Edward Carlisle, soldier as he was, martinet as he was, felt a curious sensation of helplessness seize upon him as he met her steady gaze, her alluring smile ; he could not tell what this prisoner might do.”