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

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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 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
  • Earlier this year, an open letter from agency leadership warned against using federal funds to buy harm reduction supplies like sterile syringes and pipes, or to distribute test strips for common drug supply contaminants.
    — Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Specs AccordionItemContainerButton Minimalist and cozy are two words that come to mind when describing the Zixuan daybed, which has a clean silhouette but doesn’t feel sterile thanks to its plump pillows.
    — Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of sterile
Adjective
  • Y’know, the two living, breathing, helpless children forced to sit idle while their mother and (almost) step-father constantly and brazenly risk abandoning them.
    — Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Muslims who are peace-loving and helpless also need a hand up.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of helpless
Adjective
  • Despite an aging roster, a barren farm system and a minus-38 run differential, the Astros remain in position for their 10th playoff berth in 12 years.
    — Zack Meisel, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Without vegetation, a barren burn scar allows runoff to flow more quickly.
    — Jamie Stengle, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of barren
Adjective
  • Lindsay Clancy was accused of strangling the three children with workout bands and then attempted suicide, including by jumping out a window, leaving her paralyzed.
    — Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Clancy later jumped from a second-story window in an apparent suicide attempt, which left her paralyzed from the waist down.
    — Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of paralyzed
Adjective
  • Many African economies are in a much weaker economic position compared to the strong 2015-2016 El Niño, the IIF report said, largely due to higher oil prices, which have driven up transport costs, and a strong US dollar.
    — Paige Bruton, semafor.com, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Too much nitrogen in the spring creates a weak root system that isn’t able to withstand the heat and drought in summer.
    — Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Sep. 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 9 Sep. 2026.

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