Does the Word Hapless Mean?

Hapless literally means what you'd expect it to mean: "without hap"—hap being another word for fortune or luck. ... English has several words to describe those lacking good fortune, including ill-starred, ill-fated, unlucky, and luckless, a word formed in parallel to hapless by adding the suffix -less.

What is the best definition of hapless?

The definition of hapless is an unlucky person. An example of hapless is someone who seems to break everything they touch. adjective. 4. Very unlucky; ill-fated.

Where did the word hapless come from?

The word hapless traces all the way back to the Old Norse word happ, meaning “chance, good luck.” Combine this with the suffix -less (“lacking”) and hapless means “unlucky” or “ill-fated.” A traveler who goes to Moscow and briefly gets lost on the subway?