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
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impuissant
Adjective
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When employees bring problems to their leaders, a dangerous dynamic often emerges, one that turns capable professionals into helpless children and transforms managers into overbearing parents.—
Mark Murphy,
Forbes.com,
30 July 2025
-
For the first time in his life, the great shark couldn’t swim freely and, panic-stricken, bolted clear of his world and there was only emptiness, and his tail and pectoral fins were helpless in the void.—
Pat Smith,
Outdoor Life,
24 July 2025
Adjective
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That fortune extended to Rice himself, who could have been maimed or paralyzed or otherwise unable to walk away.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
18 July 2025
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At the wedding of one of her clients, matchmaker Lucy knows just what to ask when the bride-to-be becomes paralyzed by trepidation.—
Angelica Jade Bastién,
Vulture,
25 June 2025
Adjective
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Last month and August 2024 also saw a weak start, so this comes as no surprise.—
Billy Bambrough,
Forbes.com,
2 Aug. 2025
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This downward movement was attributed to both weak job figures and a new round of U.S. tariffs announced by Trump.—
Anna Commander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Playing an unnamed surfer stuck high and dry atop a parched parking lot, Cage stares down at the waves below with the thirst of a battered cartoon coyote.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2025
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Max Monks was left high and dry when 16 Lots Brewing Co. shuttered its locations in Mason and Newport late last year.—
Keith Pandolfi,
The Enquirer,
2 July 2025
Adjective
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At that time, Mollie Keen was diagnosed with an incompetent cervix, which is when the lower part of the cervix begins to open (dilate) too early, typically in the second trimester, the release shared.—
Melissa Rudy,
FOXNews.com,
28 July 2025
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Basically, how others will judge you for moving on, if you’ll be seen as incompetent or immoral for quitting.—
Vicki Salemi,
Boston Herald,
20 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Impuissant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impuissant. Accessed 12 Aug. 2025.
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