impuissant

adjective

(ˌ)im-ˈpwi-sᵊnt How to pronounce impuissant (audio)
Definition of impuissantnext
as in helpless
unable to act or achieve one's purpose claims that such restrictions on military interventions on foreign soil would render the nation an impuissant giant on the world stage

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for impuissant
  1. helpless
  2. paralyzed
  3. weak
  4. high and dry
  5. incompetent
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
  • 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
Adjective
  • The unofficial end of summer left some boaters in Minnesota high and dry over Labor Day weekend.
    — Nick Lunemann, CBS News, 8 Sep. 2026
  • While the official logline for Tracker‘s fourth season hasn’t been released, fans can expect to witness the fallout from Russell’s decision to leave Colter high and dry at the end of season 3.
    — Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 15 July 2026
Definition of high and dry
Adjective
  • Keeping track of scheming or incompetent subordinates has always been the autocrat’s chief burden.
    — Seva Gunitsky, Foreign Affairs, 1 Oct. 2026
  • So incompetent were campus security officers, that even though Jane Doe told them she was raped, in a six-page summary sent to the local district attorney the rape was not even mentioned.
    — New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of incompetent
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.

Browse Nearby Words

impuissance
impuissant
impulse
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Cite this Entry

“Impuissant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impuissant. Accessed 8 Oct. 2026.

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