1
as in drunk
being under the influence of alcohol
driving while impaired is against the law
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in disabled
deprived of the power to perform one or more natural bodily activities
special devices for sight-impaired visitors
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in damaged
to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of
already impaired by a crack, the windshield shattered upon impact with the baseball
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of impaired
Jennifer Bisram, CBS News, 16 Mar. 2026
For many people, anxiety is the consequence of years trying to function with an impaired executive system, the part of the brain that manages planning, organization and impulse control.
—Deldhy Nicolás Moya Sánchez, The Conversation, 16 Mar. 2026
Katie Houlis, CBS News, 7 Mar. 2026
For each competition, there are separate courses for athletes in the sitting category and for athletes in the standing and vision impaired categories.
—ABC News, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for impaired
Adjective
Geriatricians say the amount of older adults who've died from falls have tripled in the last three decades, and two thirds of the fatal falls were linked to prescription pills that caused drowsiness and impaired balance.
—Jennifer Bisram, CBS News, 16 Mar. 2026
For many people, anxiety is the consequence of years trying to function with an impaired executive system, the part of the brain that manages planning, organization and impulse control.
—Deldhy Nicolás Moya Sánchez, The Conversation, 16 Mar. 2026
Verb
He was initially charged with vehicular assault and driving while ability impaired by drugs.
—Katie Houlis, CBS News, 7 Mar. 2026
For each competition, there are separate courses for athletes in the sitting category and for athletes in the standing and vision impaired categories.
—ABC News, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for impaired
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impaired
Adjective
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When Robby races into the room, our drunk country clubber is being restrained, and his nose is bleeding.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Meet Keoma Duarte, age 41, accused of vehicular homicide of a local cop while driving drunk.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
22 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Other social welfare programs have safety valves to protect weak, incapacitated or disabled clients from being exploited by people in power.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
-
South Dakota lawmakers plan to learn more about emergency medical services, Native American health care and services for disabled people ahead of the next legislative session.—
Makenzie Huber,
States Newsroom,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The helicopter landed in an area where there were no cars close enough to be damaged or to pose a risk, Davalos said.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The driver in front of him whose truck was damaged by Woods’ driving also walked away.—
Dave Hyde,
Sun Sentinel,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
That has meant hours of waiting for people in car accidents, and no troopers available to respond when a call about a drunken driver comes in, according to ISP.—
Sally Krutzig,
Idaho Statesman,
27 Mar. 2026
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In February 2025, however, he was arrested in Minnesota on a drunken driving charge, jailed, and then turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.—
Clark Kauffman,
Des Moines Register,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Hegseth cited some of those events in his video, including a shooting that injured five soldiers at Fort Stewart in Georgia last year.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Jude, a 12-year-old who gets injured in a firework accident, had been drinking with older kids while dealing with instability at home.—
Jonathan Hunt-Glassman,
Fortune,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Being from the Cape Fear coast of North Carolina, nothing epitomizes comfort food to me more than fried fish.—
Andre James,
Charlotte Observer,
23 Mar. 2026
-
The lineup includes steaks, shrimp, fried chicken, soups, breakfast dishes, salads and more.—
Richard Guzman,
Daily News,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Their reunion tour — which was somehow not marred by any type of familial controversy — sold out stadiums around the world and overexcelled in every conceivable way, setting the template for what the future of band reunions could look like and solidifying their legacy.—
Devon Ivie,
Vulture,
2 Apr. 2026
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The country remains marred by fighting in its east.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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In between are a bunch of mongrel appliances that leave both humans and technology worse for wear, like a computer, in a 2024 photo by Sara Deraedt, that seems to be giving birth to a wet child.—
Zachary Fine,
New Yorker,
31 Mar. 2026
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Uneven landscaping, wet grass and soft soil from recent rain can all make ladder placement risky.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Impaired.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impaired. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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