as in inability
the lack of sufficient ability, power, or means
the congressional committee's essential impotence in affecting the management of the war was frustrating to its members
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 impotence
To that end, Democratic impotence in the face of Trump and the GOP has left the party’s voter base increasingly looking for a leader to emerge who can lead the fight against Trump.
—
Douglas Schoen, Oc Register, 7 Aug. 2025
Providers who volunteer and are accepted will agree to seek prior authorization for 17 items and services, including skin substitutes, deep brain stimulation for Parkinson’s Disease, impotence treatment, and arthroscopy for knee osteoarthritis.
—Bob Carlson, Forbes.com, 27 July 2025
Tempest’s description evokes a dreamlike horror, laced with black humor:
Men were still stuck in the mud all over the battlefield, imploring help to lift them out : half crazy with the sense of their own impotence, and the enemy shelling. . . .
—Ed Caesar, New Yorker, 13 July 2025
There have been encouraging signs in other games or even in consecutive games, only to have the Padres revert to being the offensive impatience and impotence.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for impotence
Douglas Schoen, Oc Register, 7 Aug. 2025
Providers who volunteer and are accepted will agree to seek prior authorization for 17 items and services, including skin substitutes, deep brain stimulation for Parkinson’s Disease, impotence treatment, and arthroscopy for knee osteoarthritis.
—Bob Carlson, Forbes.com, 27 July 2025
Tempest’s description evokes a dreamlike horror, laced with black humor:
Men were still stuck in the mud all over the battlefield, imploring help to lift them out : half crazy with the sense of their own impotence, and the enemy shelling. . . .
—Ed Caesar, New Yorker, 13 July 2025
There have been encouraging signs in other games or even in consecutive games, only to have the Padres revert to being the offensive impatience and impotence.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for impotence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impotence
inability
Noun
-
But as the labor ministry’s inability to engage with shows, the state can do only so much.—
Ladan Anoushfar,
CNN Money,
18 Oct. 2025
-
The issue was his lack of consistency and his inability to limit hard contact.—
Sahadev Sharma,
New York Times,
17 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Impotence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impotence. Accessed 24 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share