impotent

adjective

ˈim-pə-tənt How to pronounce impotent (audio)
Definition of impotentnext
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

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.
Recent Examples of impotent Decadence is the vanity of bodybuilders made impotent by steroids. — Olivia Kan-Sperling, Artforum, 2 May 2026 The Iranian regime is being rendered impotent. — FOXNews.com, 19 Mar. 2026 Even in places that offer highly advanced health care, doctors have felt impotent trying to undo the damage when these horrors return. — Patricia Callahan, ProPublica, 19 Mar. 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 See All Example Sentences for impotent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impotent
  1. sterile
  2. helpless
  3. barren
  4. paralyzed
  5. weak
Adjective
  • The second stories house supplies of the metals, films, and components needed, as well as a very substantial set of HVAC equipment to keep the processes sterile, dust-free, and at the right temperature.
    — John Voelcker, The Verge, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Right now yeast fermentation is the standard method of producing heme (as leghemoglobin), but the sterile environment and industrial equipment necessary for manufacturing can be pricey.
    — Lila Magbilang, Scientific American, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of sterile
Adjective
  • That’s not because Crystal soft-pedals the emotional horror of returning to your home to find charred remains after watching, helpless, as flames took the locus of all your best memories.
    — Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026
  • That’s not because Crystal soft-pedals the emotional horror of returning to the charred remains of your home after watching, helpless, as flames took the locus of all your best memories.
    — Chris Jones, New York Daily News, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of helpless
Adjective
  • These bright spots in an otherwise barren season for curve representation weren’t necessarily novel.
    — Joe Bobowicz, Vogue, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Research into turning Martian dust into material that supports plant growth highlights how much work remains to make barren planetary materials useful for agriculture.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of barren
Adjective
  • After 60 days, the researchers reported that treated pigs could stand and walk on all four limbs, while controls remained paralyzed.
    — Mike McRae October 21, New Atlas, 22 Oct. 2026
  • In 1995, however, Reeve, a competitive equestrian, had a devastating accident, breaking his spine while riding, and becoming paralyzed for the rest of his life.
    — Kate Aurthur, Variety, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of paralyzed
Adjective
  • The age-old advice of keeping your passwords secure and being wary of suspicious emails is more important than ever as hackers gain more sophisticated tools and use AI to find more of the internet’s weak points.
    — Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Analysts expect profits and assets to cover the dividend through weaker timber periods.
    — Sebastien Chasse, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of weak

Browse Nearby Words

impotency
impotent
impotently
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Impotent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impotent. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of milieu

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

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

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

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

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

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All