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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The wind is bending thick swirls of flame over Sunset Boulevard and the firefighters are helpless to stop it.Matt Gutman, ABC News, 9 Jan. 2025
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Buster the yellow Lab is a thicc fella who can stop, but will not stop, gleefully belly flopping into his swimming pool despite the increasingly helpless and desperately profane protestations of his mother.Julie Klausner, Vulture, 27 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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After October 7th, people were shocked and stunned and paralyzed and afraid of rockets and trying to figure out where their dead bodies were and whether their kids were dead or captive.Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 2 Jan. 2025
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The inspirational documentary chronicles the actor's storied rise but mainly focuses on his later life and work championing people with disabilities and spinal-cord injuries after a horse-riding accident left him paralyzed.Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 24 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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China’s persistently low consumer inflation indicates that China is struggling with weak domestic demand, stoking fears of deflation.Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 9 Jan. 2025
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Its woman-on-the-run story is weak at times, not quite engaging enough to get through the constant death and destruction.Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 9 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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And while the company has sports rights, its hoards them for CBS and Paramount+, leaving the cable channels high and dry.Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Dec. 2024
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The only instance in his coaching career was in 2018 when LeBron James left the Cavaliers high and dry with a rotation that nobody could win with.Shane Young, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Geyser was diagnosed the following August with childhood-onset schizophrenia and ruled incompetent to stand trial, a decision that was reversed that December.Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 9 Jan. 2025
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The team looked incompetent, even with an extra week to prepare.Chad Graff, The Athletic, 8 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near impuissant
Cite this Entry
“Impuissant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impuissant. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.
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