Pronunciation: HOHP-lis
Simple meaning
Hopeless means having no hope, or appearing to have no reasonable chance of success.
Today, people sometimes use the word casually. Someone may say a situation is hopeless when they are frustrated, discouraged, or overwhelmed. In Big Book study, the word is much more serious. It can describe a condition where ordinary human effort, willpower, promises, fear, and consequences have not been enough.
Older meaning
Older dictionary definitions often describe hopeless as being without hope, giving no ground for hope, or being beyond expectation of success.
That older meaning matters because hopeless does not always mean a person feels sad in the moment. It can also describe the actual condition of a situation that has not responded to ordinary solutions.
Why this word matters
In Big Book reading, “hopeless” helps describe the seriousness of alcoholism as presented in the text.
The word does not mean a person is worthless. It does not mean they should give up. It means the usual ways of solving the problem may have failed.
A person may have tried promises, self-knowledge, fear, family pressure, doctors, religion, consequences, or sincere resolutions. Yet the problem may still continue.
That is why hopelessness can become important in the book’s message. It prepares the reader to consider a different kind of solution.
Common misunderstanding
A common misunderstanding is to hear “hopeless” as an insult.
In this study context, hopeless is not meant to attack the person’s value. It points to the failure of ordinary remedies when applied to the condition being described.
A useful question is:
Is this word describing the person as worthless, or is it describing the failure of ordinary solutions?
Study note
This website works best with a copy of the Big Book in your hand. Look for the word “hopeless” in the Doctor’s Opinion and the first 164 pages. Notice whether the surrounding passage is describing the person, the condition, failed attempts to stop, or the need for a different solution.
Related words
alcoholic
problem
obsession
solution
spiritual