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
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Recent Examples of impotent
However, as Google points out, the evolution of quantum computers threatens to make such protections impotent.
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Davey Winder, Forbes, 18 Sep. 2024
The town’s working-class citizens are sick of being neglected and left in impotent chaos.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Sep. 2024
Robinson’s obsessive and volatile (but also hyper-earnest) screen persona so perfectly crystallizes a modern form of impotent male rage that it’s become a language unto itself on the internet, where everyone leads with their id.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 10 Sep. 2024
As Israel’s current war in Gaza has unfolded, Abbas has remained impotent and irrelevant, and even his fiefdom in the West Bank has begun to crumble.
—Khaled Elgindy, Foreign Affairs, 30 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for impotent 
Davey Winder, Forbes, 18 Sep. 2024
The town’s working-class citizens are sick of being neglected and left in impotent chaos.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Sep. 2024
Robinson’s obsessive and volatile (but also hyper-earnest) screen persona so perfectly crystallizes a modern form of impotent male rage that it’s become a language unto itself on the internet, where everyone leads with their id.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 10 Sep. 2024
As Israel’s current war in Gaza has unfolded, Abbas has remained impotent and irrelevant, and even his fiefdom in the West Bank has begun to crumble.
—Khaled Elgindy, Foreign Affairs, 30 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for impotent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impotent
Adjective
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One current method used for mosquito control is called the sterile insect technique, which works by releasing many sterile males to mate with females, who tend to mate with only one partner.Sharon Udasin, The Hill, 5 Nov. 2024
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These tests require you to pee into a sterile cup so your healthcare provider can check for protein and waste products in your urine.Lindsay Curtis, Health, 19 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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While Chris Smith lay helpless, authorities say Tarr was plotting to silence him forever.Erin Moriarty, CBS News, 2 Nov. 2024
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This creates a helpless but highly effective kind of suspense, as Iris must rely on her tormentor to mess up, at least until her limbs start to respond again.Peter Debruge, Variety, 25 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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The result is a barren playa, wide swaths of sand and earth.Shaun McKinnon, The Arizona Republic, 28 Oct. 2024
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In his latest novel, Annihilation, his protagonists wander through that barren world, disoriented, looking vainly for an exit.Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 24 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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When the technology is limited to medical applications, such as Chang’s device that helps paralyzed people regain the ability to communicate, those applications are covered by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).Avery Hurt, Discover Magazine, 5 Nov. 2024
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My left leg is, uh, partially paralyzed from my hip to my knee, then from my knee to my toes, completely paralyzed, so if there's any neurosurgeons out there … any researchers out there, please get a hold of me.Erin Moriarty, CBS News, 2 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Other checks on Trump’s policy will also be far weaker.Daniel W. Drezner, Foreign Affairs, 12 Nov. 2024
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Each endpoint can be assessed to sniff out weak points.PCMAG, PCMAG, 6 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near impotent
Cite this Entry
“Impotent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impotent. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
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