1
as in sterile
not able to produce fruit or offspring
most mules are impotent
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in helpless
unable to act or achieve one's purpose
an impotent ruler who was just a figurehead
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 impotent
This kind of data delusion and fact fiction is, on the one hand, very sad, the mark of a man too fragile, impotent and incompetent to accept reality or withstand criticism.
—
S.e. Cupp, New York Daily News, 7 Aug. 2025
His wife is resting her hands on his shoulders, with her head turned upward, a gesture of impotent torment.
—Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 2 Aug. 2025
The result: impotent adult flies that cause female mates to lay unfertilized eggs.
—Kameryn Griesser, CNN Money, 9 July 2025
This French film featured the sexiest woman in the world at that time, Brigitte Bardot, who appears in the nude and whose husband might be impotent.
—Suzanne Jill Levine
june 30, Literary Hub, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for impotent
S.e. Cupp, New York Daily News, 7 Aug. 2025
His wife is resting her hands on his shoulders, with her head turned upward, a gesture of impotent torment.
—Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 2 Aug. 2025
The result: impotent adult flies that cause female mates to lay unfertilized eggs.
—Kameryn Griesser, CNN Money, 9 July 2025
This French film featured the sexiest woman in the world at that time, Brigitte Bardot, who appears in the nude and whose husband might be impotent.
—Suzanne Jill Levine
june 30, Literary Hub, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for impotent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impotent
Adjective
-
The sterile cockpit rule prohibits pilots from engaging in conversations unrelated to operating the aircraft when flying below 10,000 feet.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Sep. 2025
-
These aren’t sterile operations run by committees.—
Joel Goldstein,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
And wasn’t the world hard enough, without having to care for helpless children too?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 Sep. 2025
-
In the midst of feeling helpless, Kate said an idea took shape to commemorate the victims.—
Matthew Adams,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The team wasn’t able to completely rule out that TRAPPIST-1e is a barren rock like its inner siblings, however, partly because of interference from its hyperactive star.—
Jonathan O'Callaghan,
Scientific American,
8 Sep. 2025
-
The local Rite Aid was getting ready to shut down, with barren shelves and 75% off all items, while commerce elsewhere in the town of less than 3,000 people wasn’t exactly bustling.—
David Mark,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
While many workers consider job changes, those who approach transitions strategically have a significant advantage over those who act impulsively or remain paralyzed by uncertainty.—
Caroline Castrillon,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Her son was left paralyzed from the mid-chest down, had to have his left leg amputated at the knee and two thirds of his bowel removed — and almost a month later, is still in the hospital, where he is intubated and fighting an infection.—
Janelle Griffith,
PEOPLE,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The ultrarich formula uses amino acids to reinforce weak strands, glycerin to hydrate and soften, silicones to smooth the cuticle, and coconut oil to add more moisture and shine.—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
-
China’s economy showed further signs of weakness last month, with key data Monday revealing factory output and consumption rising at their weakest pace for around a year.—
Nino Paoli,
Fortune,
15 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Impotent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impotent. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share