powerless

Preposition: over

• alcohol: Table 1.2: The 6 principles of recovery We admitted we were powerless over alcohol.

Adjective complement with noun phrase

• render: Jesus has come into the world to render Satan powerless.

Modifies a noun

• minority: Neither can the White community simply weigh in when they like because powerless minorities are fair game.

Modifying Another Word

• utterly: At the same time, he was seized by four strong men and rendered utterly powerless.
• virtually: They are in a virtually powerless position to prevent eviction.
• relatively: Risks to relatively powerless people - children, the elderly, the poor - seem to be taken much more seriously.
• totally: However, NGOs which receive funds are not totally powerless.
• largely: Where once the trades unions could protect their members, now they are largely powerless.

Infinitive complement

• intervene: Suddenly Benedita sprung out her hammock; the men seemed powerless to intervene.
• resist: Seeing the people now powerless to resist, Eldridge responded to the Knights ' demand for a king by crowning himself.
• stop: They are powerless to stop what is happening to them.
• prevent: Yet, Bill pointed out how the courts were powerless to prevent the successful strike which did take place.
• defend: Women were assumed to be powerless to defend themselves against the larger assaults of destiny.
• act: Police repeatedly told him they were powerless to act.

Used with adjective complement

• render: Faced with this looming crisis, the Bank of England's ability to cut interest rates is rendered almost powerless.
• feel: We feel powerless in the face of the biggest natural disaster of modern times.
• seem: Suddenly, Gilliam seemed powerless in Hollywood's grip.
• appear: Faced with an unscrupulous dictator, NATO appears quite powerless with its surgical strikes.
• remain: The parliament, of course, will remain powerless.

Preposition: in

• face: We feel powerless in the face of the biggest natural disaster of modern times.