powerless; helpless; incompetent
Describes lacking physical strength, ability, or influence. Often used to express one's own inadequacy or inability to handle a situation.
自分が非力で情けない。
I feel pathetic for being so powerless.
彼は非力を理由に辞退した。
He declined, citing his own incompetence.
非力 means lacking in strength or power, the opposite of the mighty power described by 強力 (ごうりき).
Compound of 非 (hi, 'not') and 力 (riki, 'power'), literally 'lack of power'. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the meaning is transparent from the kanji.