impotent

adjective

ˈim-pə-tənt How to pronounce impotent (audio)
Definition of impotentnext
1
as in sterile
not able to produce fruit or offspring most mules are impotent

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2
as in helpless
unable to act or achieve one's purpose an impotent ruler who was just a figurehead

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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 impotent Decadence is the vanity of bodybuilders made impotent by steroids. — Olivia Kan-Sperling, Artforum, 2 May 2026 The Iranian regime is being rendered impotent. — FOXNews.com, 19 Mar. 2026 Even in places that offer highly advanced health care, doctors have felt impotent trying to undo the damage when these horrors return. — Patricia Callahan, ProPublica, 19 Mar. 2026 This unsettling thriller about impotent (emotionally, literally) university professor Ali (Turkish star Ekin Koç), on the path to vengeance after the suspicious death of his mother, scored strong reviews (including my own) and the World Cinema Directing Award out of the Utah festival. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 14 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for impotent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impotent
  1. sterile
  2. helpless
  3. barren
  4. paralyzed
  5. weak
Adjective
  • Asha Indoor/Outdoor Area Rug If your patio is feeling sterile, layering in accents like an outdoor rug is the key to achieving a cozier vibe.
    — Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The sterile design didn’t have seats and encouraged people to order strictly via its mobile app.
    — Jordan Valinsky, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of sterile
Adjective
  • But passengers don’t have to be helpless during these stressful ordeals.
    — Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Technology can erode privacy, concentrate power, damage the environment, and leave people feeling helpless.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of helpless
Adjective
  • Later, this same organic material hitched a ride on crashing meteorites to seed a young, barren Earth.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 22 Sep. 2026
  • In one of these journals, called Notebook B, there is an incidental sketch, a few scratched lines like the barren twigs of a winter tree.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of barren
Adjective
  • The injuries left her paralyzed from the waist down after jumping from a second-story window.
    — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 1 Oct. 2026
  • But Congress appears paralyzed and its leaders unfamiliar with what they’re supposed to be regulating.
    — Matt Post, Baltimore Sun, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of paralyzed
Adjective
  • Most franchise advertising does not fail because the brand is weak or the market is dry.
    — Jonathan Durante, Forbes.com, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Historically, midterm years see weaker returns, but better times await the following year , especially if there is gridlock from a divided Congress.
    — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of weak

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Cite this Entry

“Impotent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impotent. Accessed 7 Oct. 2026.

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