impaired
Americanadjective
-
weakened, diminished, or damaged.
to rebuild an impaired bridge.
-
functioning poorly or inadequately.
Consumption of alcohol results in an impaired driver.
-
deficient or incompetent (usually preceded by an adverb or noun).
morally impaired; sports-impaired.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of impaired
Explanation
When something is impaired, it's diminished or damaged. Someone who can't see very well has impaired sight. When something is broken and isn't working at 100%, it's impaired. People with impaired hearing are deaf, and people who are physically impaired have to use crutches or wheelchairs. Everyone who wears glasses or contact lenses has impaired vision. If you break your ankle, your ability to walk is impaired. And if something caused you to make a bad decision, you could say your judgment was impaired.
Vocabulary lists containing impaired
Hatchet
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"We recognise it was an accident, you know when young people play sometimes their sense of judgement is impaired either by excitement or by not understanding what is happening at that particular time."
From BBC • Jun. 6, 2026
Attorneys for Grossman and Erickson argued that, although the incident was tragic, there was no evidence that their clients were racing or impaired that would justify an award of hundreds of millions of dollars.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 6, 2026
Recent reviews have pointed to several possible mechanisms, including circadian disruption, altered hormone signaling, changes in immune function, metabolic disruption, and impaired DNA repair.
From Science Daily • May 30, 2026
The analyst notes Royal Bank’s credit-loss provision on impaired loans ratio fell 6 basis points quarter-on-quarter to 34 basis points, while the total provision for credit losses on loans ratio was 35 points.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026
In other words, if you are not hearing impaired, your ear will pick up and receive sounds.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
