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
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Recent Examples of impotent
But this is the first time in recent memory in which the will of the majority feels both irrelevant and totally impotent.
—
Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 13 Jan. 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
Yet the Jets' offense was again impotent.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 19 Oct. 2025
Ethics without efficiency are impotent.
—Karlo Tanjuakio, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for impotent
Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 13 Jan. 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
Yet the Jets' offense was again impotent.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 19 Oct. 2025
Ethics without efficiency are impotent.
—Karlo Tanjuakio, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for impotent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impotent
Adjective
-
That matters, especially after the sterile corporate monotony of the Napier era.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
16 May 2026
-
Run the tap two to three minutes before collecting, use only the sterile bottle provided and keep the sample away from nonstick or treated surfaces.—
Allison Palmer,
Miami Herald,
15 May 2026
Adjective
-
By contrast, the publication of his translation of Kafka in Italian in the spring of 1983 left him feeling empty, helpless, defenseless.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 May 2026
-
All the sweeping expansiveness snaps shut with a sudden health crisis for Kristen, its onset signaled with masterful concision in a middle-of-the-night calamity that leaves her helpless.—
Sheri Linden,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2026
Adjective
-
Seeking to eliminate Berber forces in the barren mountains of northern Morocco, seven soldiers obediently follow their fanatical sergeant (Víctor Clavijo) into barbarous depths of depravity.—
Ed Meza,
Variety,
16 May 2026
-
Officials there have said that Iraqi army forces investigated reports of an unauthorized military force in the Nukhaib desert -- a barren area to the southwest of the cities of Karbala and Najaf -- in early March and came under fire while en route to the location.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
16 May 2026
Adjective
-
While the idea of being paralyzed can sound alarming, the underlying mechanism is actually a normal part of sleep for nearly everyone.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
17 May 2026
-
Just one week after coming to the school in 2021 on a hockey recruiting visit, Thibeault suffered a spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed from the waist down.—
Paul Burton,
CBS News,
16 May 2026
Adjective
-
Free agency is weak, so the best bet will be the trade market.—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
-
The original vision of the Accords – of a rapidly expanding regional bloc openly aligned with Israel and integrated economically across the Middle East – has become a significantly weaker prospect.—
Chas Newkey-Burden,
TheWeek,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Impotent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impotent. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
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