impotent

im·po·tent

adj \ˈim-pə-tənt\

Definition of IMPOTENT

1

a : not potent : lacking in power, strength, or vigor : helpless b : unable to engage in sexual intercourse because of inability to have and maintain an erection; broadly : sterile

2

obsolete : incapable of self-restraint : ungovernable

— impotent noun

— im·po·tent·ly adverb

Examples of IMPOTENT

1. <an impotent ruler who was just a figurehead>

Origin of IMPOTENT

Middle English, from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French, from Latin impotent-, impotens, from in- + potent-, potens potent

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to IMPOTENT

Synonyms: barren, fruitless, sterile, infertile, unfruitful

Antonyms: fat, fertile, fruitful

Related Words: altered, desexed, neutered, sterilized; castrated, emasculated, gelded; spayed; unproductive

Near Antonyms: fecund, luxuriant, productive, prolific; enriched, fertilized, rich; impregnated, pregnant; potent; bearing, producing, yielding; blooming, bursting, flourishing, swarming, teeming

see all synonyms and antonyms

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Other Psychology Terms

fetish, hypochondria, intelligence, mania, narcissism, neurosis, pathological, psychosis, schadenfreude, subliminal