1
as in drunk
being under the influence of alcohol
driving while impaired is against the law
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in disabled
deprived of the power to perform one or more natural bodily activities
special devices for sight-impaired visitors
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in damaged
to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of
already impaired by a crack, the windshield shattered upon impact with the baseball
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of impaired
Jennifer Lefton, Verywell Health, 6 Oct. 2025
More information from the EEOC on disability discrimination against individuals who are blind or visually impaired is online here.
—Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Sep. 2025
Eren Orbey, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
But 24 of the 30 were impaired by pollution – primarily nitrogen – at the time of this designation, and today, their condition has not improved.
—Christopher F. Meindl, The Conversation, 3 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for impaired
Adjective
Signs may include neuropathy, retinopathy, ataxia, or impaired immune response.
—Jennifer Lefton, Verywell Health, 6 Oct. 2025
More information from the EEOC on disability discrimination against individuals who are blind or visually impaired is online here.
—Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Sep. 2025
Verb
The laws regulating undercover operations are relatively lenient in Australia; in Canada, which has long used similar tactics, judges have challenged the targeting of suspects who are socially isolated or cognitively impaired.
—Eren Orbey, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
But 24 of the 30 were impaired by pollution – primarily nitrogen – at the time of this designation, and today, their condition has not improved.
—Christopher F. Meindl, The Conversation, 3 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for impaired
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impaired
Adjective
-
When morality clauses first appeared in Hollywood in the 1920s, they were meant to protect studios from scandal—actors getting drunk, producers getting indicted, the usual mayhem.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Oct. 2025
-
Clara, grieving in her own way, sneaks out, gets drunk and high and sees her boyfriend without her mom’s permission.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Weekly Newsletter Audiences were asked to consider that the display of human difference was dehumanizing or even exploitative but also to understand that the sideshow represented a locus of community and a way for disabled performers to make an independent living.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
30 Oct. 2025
-
And Marissa Bode, who plays Elphaba’s disabled sister Nessarose, confirms her character’s origin story will differ from the stage version.—
Jack Smart,
PEOPLE,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Your homes may have been damaged or destroyed and your communities and towns no longer look the same.—
Abigail Adams,
PEOPLE,
29 Oct. 2025
-
Many tender crops die back with the first fall frost, while hardier plants may linger longer but still be damaged by freezes.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
In one of the most harrowing scenes in the movie, a drunken Douglas Springsteen cajoles a young Bruce into a bedroom slapping game that begins to border on genuine physical abuse.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
24 Oct. 2025
-
The jury convicted her of only drunken driving.—
Boston Herald staff,
Boston Herald,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Frazier Rehabilitation Institute In 1929, Amelia Brown Frazier, George Garvin Brown’s granddaughter, was injured in an automobile accident that changed her life forever.—
Maggie Menderski,
Louisville Courier Journal,
26 Oct. 2025
-
Police are responding to a shooting that left multiple people injured at Pennsylvania’s Lincoln University Saturday night, during the school’s Homecoming weekend.—
Emma Tucker,
CNN Money,
26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Vril and Agartha have thrived in part because of the way the editors mix brainrot and bigotry, disguising their ideological assaults in the fried fog of GifTok rap gibberish.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
24 Oct. 2025
-
It can be roasted, baked, or pan-fried.—
Nancy LeBrun,
Verywell Health,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Advertisement While the commercial supply of goods has improved since the cease-fire deal, the flow of humanitarian aid continues to be marred by bureaucracy, delays, and blockages.—
Anna Halford,
Time,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Martin starred as one of the NFL’s top running backs a decade ago, in a career that was also marred by injuries and off-field challenges.—
Jakob Rodgers,
Mercury News,
22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Remove thick layers of leaves, especially wet ones, from the lawn.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Plus, the rubber sole adds traction to keep you stable on wet or slippery surfaces.—
Caroline Hughes,
Travel + Leisure,
30 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Impaired.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impaired. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share