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
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Recent Examples of impuissant
The failsafe option of fake news
Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the impuissant opposition, settled down in a comfortable chair, and readied himself for his regular, televised roasting.
—
Isobel Thompson, The Hive, 5 Apr. 2017
Isobel Thompson, The Hive, 5 Apr. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impuissant
Adjective
-
The child was helpless against the power of the surging surf, injured while tossed by the waves.—
Laylan Connelly,
Oc Register,
4 June 2026
-
American society—grotesquely unequal and divided, helpless before its demagogic and oligarchic manipulators—is no longer a stranger to the dark ambiguities of lopsided economic progress.—
Wyatt Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
Hollywood on a bad day is paralyzed, absolutely paralyzed, and incapable of making new decisions.—
Benjamin VanHoose,
PEOPLE,
5 June 2026
-
One of the bullets hit the teen’s spine, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down, his mother said.—
Julian Roberts-Grmela,
New York Daily News,
5 June 2026
Adjective
-
As the story goes, attendance was weak, the weather was bad, and the tournament experience was just lacking.—
James Burky,
Denver Post,
29 May 2026
-
As many as 40 states combine one-party control with institutional barriers weak enough to fall to political pressure.—
Bruce Sibley,
Time,
29 May 2026
Adjective
-
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
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If everything goes to plan — and with no relief from the weather — Flaming Gorge will fall by as much as 27 feet (8 meters) a year from now, leaving Buckboard Marina even more high and dry.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
But the reason is not as simple as an incompetent training staff.—
Levi Weaver,
New York Times,
4 June 2026
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There should be no place in our politics for incompetent, opportunistic operatives who violate privacy, betray trust, and prioritize vengeance over decency.—
Jared Kofsky,
ABC News,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Impuissant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impuissant. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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