IMPUISSANT Synonyms: 55 Similar and Opposite Words

impuissant

adjective

(ˌ)im-ˈpwi-sᵊnt

Definition of impuissant

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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for impuissant

Adjective

Bernstein plays with that distance like a telephone cord wrapped around her fingers, and Eleni — played by the excellent newcomer Cemre Paksoy, powerfully helpless — only frays even more as the receiver is brought near the hook.

— David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 9 July 2026
The leading interpretation is that Smilodon delivered a single precise bite to the throat or belly, severing something vital in a target that was already helpless.

— Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026

Definition of helpless

Adjective

Yuba City resident Michelle Reinhart said the disease left her essentially paralyzed, unable to move her hands or head for about two weeks after contracting the disease in 2015.

— Alula Alderson, Sacbee.com, 14 July 2026
His fixation on the bill — which lacks enough GOP support in the Senate — has undermined unrelated Republican priorities in both chambers and nearly paralyzed legislative business in the House.

— Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 13 July 2026

Definition of paralyzed

Adjective

Lil Wayne is feeling remorseful after leaving fans in Maine high and dry.

— Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 2 July 2026
The drought that has plagued much of the Chesapeake Bay’s watershed during the first half of this year is causing strains to drinking water supplies, hurting crop output and leaving many rafters and boaters high and dry.

— Jeremy Cox, Baltimore Sun, 27 May 2026

Definition of high and dry

Adjective

This show is about scheming, the weight of the crown, and incompetent brats who want to scheme to get their hands on the crown.

— Brian Grubb, Vulture, 6 July 2026
Her Volumnia bellows at her meek daughter-in-law, Virgilia (Justine Faith) as though reprimanding an incompetent private.

— Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 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

See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

Style

“Impuissant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impuissant. Accessed 16 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of impuissant

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

bibelot

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Games & Quizzes