1
as in sterile
not able to produce fruit or offspring
most mules are impotent
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in helpless
unable to act or achieve one's purpose
an impotent ruler who was just a figurehead
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of impotent
The old president is impotent, the new president is embryonic, Congress is inert, and the press has one eye on the mistletoe.
—
Charles C. W. Cooke, National Review, 16 Dec. 2024
And Musk’s theatricalities are impotent: Government spending will grow as long as baby boomers continue to retire, the population ages and Congress continues to enlarge the national debt with gargantuan budget deficits.
—George Will, Twin Cities, 20 Mar. 2025
This Gilded Age rule—that those who act violently against individuals inherit the mantle of religious martyrdom, while those who act practically to improve a system are dismissed as impotent proceduralists—is visible in the continued appeal of the anarchist imagination.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2025
Were Cocoa’s leaders impotent in convincing Orlando Health to repair it, in order to keep a commitment to Cocoa’s health?
—Letters To The Editor, Orlando Sentinel, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for impotent
Charles C. W. Cooke, National Review, 16 Dec. 2024
And Musk’s theatricalities are impotent: Government spending will grow as long as baby boomers continue to retire, the population ages and Congress continues to enlarge the national debt with gargantuan budget deficits.
—George Will, Twin Cities, 20 Mar. 2025
This Gilded Age rule—that those who act violently against individuals inherit the mantle of religious martyrdom, while those who act practically to improve a system are dismissed as impotent proceduralists—is visible in the continued appeal of the anarchist imagination.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2025
Were Cocoa’s leaders impotent in convincing Orlando Health to repair it, in order to keep a commitment to Cocoa’s health?
—Letters To The Editor, Orlando Sentinel, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for impotent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impotent
Adjective
-
Avoid sterile, clinical environments that can be intimidating.—
Ajay Prasad,
Forbes,
21 Mar. 2025
-
The Pitt is set in Pittsburgh, not Chicago, and the season unfolds in real time, with overlapping crises ratcheting up tension as the cast careens around the sterile white set.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
20 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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More generally, some people are concerned that becoming too reliant on AI for menial and routine tasks could lead to us becoming over-reliant and helpless, perhaps even to the detriment of human problem-solving or decision-making ability.—
Bernard Marr,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
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Asking for help isn’t the same as being helpless, Pryor noted.—
Megan Sauer,
CNBC,
11 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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So, why would an elite striker commit to two potentially barren years?—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
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The list includes mostly barren Antarctic islands with no imports or exports. 0:51 President Donald Trump's sweeping new set of tariffs impact friend and foe alike, but also on the list are uninhabited islands while some glaring omissions include Russia and Iran.—
Shannon K. Kingston,
ABC News,
3 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Before the polio vaccine was introduced in 1955, tens of thousands of children were catching the disease every year; thousands of them died, and more were left paralyzed.—
Bruce Handy,
The Atlantic,
16 Apr. 2025
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Because tariffs are a type of taxation, Mr. Trump’s plan is among the largest tax increases in decades, analysts say, a policy change that sent the stock market reeling, paralyzed corporate investment and shoved the economy closer to a recession.—
Andrew Duehren,
New York Times,
5 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Carbonaceous chondrites tend to be weaker and more crumbly than other meteorites, so these objects just don’t stand as much of a chance.—
Patrick M. Shober,
The Conversation,
14 Apr. 2025
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Then, McIlroy hit a weak drive to the right and was blocked by pines.—
Time,
Time,
14 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Impotent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impotent. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.
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