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
For Brazil in particular, such impotence in the face of a geopolitical crisis at its border symbolizes the dramatic failure of decades of Brazilian foreign policy, in which Brasília sought to make itself into the region’s diplomatic and political leader.
—
Oliver Stuenkel, Foreign Affairs, 31 Jan. 2019
Donald Trump’s one hundred days, from January 20 to April 30, 2025, will stand as a monument to the bloated, twisted power of the American Presidency and to the impotence of the U.S. Congress.
—Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2025
And as the extent of the damage grew, so too did her feeling of impotence.
—Heather Law, CNN Money, 11 Apr. 2025
Jack Harrison squandered one promising position with a pass that dribbled through to Caoimhin Kelleher, a metaphor for their impotence during the evening.
—Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for impotence
Oliver Stuenkel, Foreign Affairs, 31 Jan. 2019
Donald Trump’s one hundred days, from January 20 to April 30, 2025, will stand as a monument to the bloated, twisted power of the American Presidency and to the impotence of the U.S. Congress.
—Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2025
And as the extent of the damage grew, so too did her feeling of impotence.
—Heather Law, CNN Money, 11 Apr. 2025
Jack Harrison squandered one promising position with a pass that dribbled through to Caoimhin Kelleher, a metaphor for their impotence during the evening.
—Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for impotence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impotence
inability
Noun
-
Fever head coach Stephanie White was upset with how the referees officiated the game and about the inability to take control.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
18 June 2025
-
Predicate orders are based on the abandonment, abuse or neglect of that child by one or both parents, and the inability to reunify with one or both parents, based on those findings.—
Taylor Romine,
CNN Money,
18 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Impotence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impotence. Accessed 24 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share