im·pair | \ im-ˈper 
\
\impaired; impairing; impairs
Definition of impair
: to diminish in function, ability, or quality : to weaken or make worse
It has been known for nearly 100 years that memory is impaired by bilateral damage to either of two brain regions …— Larry R. Squire The use of drugs further complicates the situation of these families and sometimes impairs their ability to raise children.— Ellen L. Bassuk … the prospect of generating normal profitability is impaired by excessive debt service.— John Nozell The physician also checks for signs of endometriosis, a condition in which the cells that normally compose the uterine lining grow outside the uterus, sometimes impairing fertility.— Martha Southgate
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Synonyms & Antonyms for impair
Synonyms
- blemish,
- bloody,
- break,
- compromise,
- crab,
- cripple,
- cross (up),
- damage,
- deface,
- disfigure,
- endamage,
- flaw,
- harm,
- hurt,
- injure,
- mar,
- spoil,
- vitiate
Antonyms
- doctor,
- fix,
- mend,
- patch,
- rebuild,
- recondition,
- reconstruct,
- renovate,
- repair,
- revamp
Examples of impair in a Sentence
Smoking can impair your health.
Drinking impairs a person's ability to think clearly.
His memory was so impaired by age that he often forgot where he was.
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Recent Examples on the Web Avoid substances that might impair your response time.
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Amy Marturana Winderl, SELF, "5 Road Safety Tips Even the Most Experienced Drivers Sometimes Forget," 19 Oct. 2020 But solid axles, particularly front ones, impair the ride and handling of a vehicle in any type of driving that doesn’t involve rock crawling.
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Wes Siler, Outside Online, "Inside My Custom Toyota Land Cruiser Build," 15 Oct. 2020 For dehydration to temporarily impair the kidneys is not uncommon.
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James Hamblin, The Atlantic, "The President’s Doctor Is Doing Harm," 6 Oct. 2020 Crosby is suffering from a condition that may impair her judgement.
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Carol Robinson | Crobinson@al.com, al, "Missing 85-year-old Russell County woman last seen in Birmingham," 1 Oct. 2020 The scientists specifically looked for mutations that would impair the production of type I interferons—a set of proteins made by every cell in the body that comprise a first-line defense against viruses.
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Claudia Wallis, Scientific American, "One in Seven Dire COVID Cases May Result from a Faulty Immune Response," 30 Sep. 2020 Heat can impair sleep among those who do not have access to air conditioners, which can have widespread impacts on their life.
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refinery29.com, "The Surprising Ways Climate Change Is Already Affecting Our Health," 25 Sep. 2020 The concern is that radio and electromagnetic fields could impair cognitive performance, causing momentary confusion.
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Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "Are Cockpit Electromagnetic Fields Killing Pilots?," 15 Sep. 2020 The November election could severely impair the long-term success of my business if Biden is elected.
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Rachel Adams-heard, Bloomberg.com, "Even Now, U.S. Oil Drillers Remain Focused on Output Over Debt," 23 Sep. 2020
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'impair.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for impair
impair
verbim·pair | \ im-ˈper \
\impaired; impairing
Kids Definition of impair
: to make less (as in quantity, value, or strength) or worse : damage Smoking can impair your health.
impair
transitive verbim·pair | \ im-ˈpa(ə)r, -ˈpe(ə)r \
\Medical Definition of impair
: to diminish in function, ability, or quality : to weaken or make worse
It has been known for nearly 100 years that memory is impaired by bilateral damage to either of two brain regions …— Larry R. Squire The physician also checks for signs of endometriosis, a condition in which the cells that normally compose the uterine lining grow outside the uterus, sometimes impairing fertility.— Martha Southgate
Other Words from impair
impairment \ -ˈpa(ə)r-mənt \ noun
\ nounimpair
transitive verbim·pair | \ im-ˈper \
\Legal Definition of impair
1 : to damage or make worse by or as if by diminishing
impaired health
2 : to diminish the value of (property or property rights) specifically : to diminish the value of (legal contractual obligations) to the point that a party loses the benefit of the contract or the contract otherwise becomes invalid a law impairing a state's own obligations was entitled to less deference — Gerald Gunther — see also contract clause
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Time Traveler for impair
The first known use of impair was in the 14th century
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