impair
1 Americanverb (used with object)
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impairs,
present (3rd person singular)
-
impaired,
past participle, past
-
impairing
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
impairs,
present (3rd person singular)
-
impaired,
past participle, past
-
impairing
present participle
noun
adjective
verb
Synonym Usage
See injure.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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impairernoun
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impairmentnoun
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nonimpairmentnoun
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preimpairmentnoun
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impairableadjective
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self-impairableadjective
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self-impairingadjective
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unimpairableadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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impairsimple
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impairssimple
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have impairedperfect
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has impairedperfect
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am impairingprogressive
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are impairingprogressive
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is impairingprogressive
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have been impairingperfect progressive
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has been impairingperfect progressive
Past
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impairedsimple
-
had impairedperfect
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was impairingprogressive
-
were impairingprogressive
-
had been impairingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of impair1
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English empairen, empeiren “to make worse,” from Middle French empeirer, from em- im- 1 + peirer “to make worse” (from Late Latin pējōrāre, verb derivative of Latin pējor “worse”; cf. pejoration)
Origin of impair2
First recorded in 1820–30; from French: literally, “odd,” from Latin impār “odd, unequal”; equivalent to im- 2 ( def. ) + pair 2 ( def. )
Explanation
If you make bad decisions in the morning after drinking coffee, you might conclude that caffeine tends to impair your judgment. When you impair something, you damage it or make it work poorly. The root of the verb impair traces back to the Latin word pejorare, meaning “to make worse,” and that’s still what happens if you impair something. Whether it’s communication, visibility, or your marriage prospects, if you impair it, you make it worse. The word can be used for situations that describe something that has deteriorated, such as “Snow continued to impair driving conditions.”
Vocabulary lists containing impair
List 6
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Essential English Vocabulary, List 5
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United States v. Nixon (1974)
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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.
See Examples For:
A brain tumor, depending on its location, type and stage, could impair your cognitive functioning and spatial awareness, which could affect your ability to drive.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 4, 2026
Excess weight may promote inflammation, impair blood circulation, and contribute to insulin resistance.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 2, 2026
It warned against "acts that tend to depreciate or impair the national currency, including any conduct that undermines its lawful value or use".
From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026
She said the scale, height, and mass of the new ballroom would impair her aesthetic, cultural, and historical interests in viewing and appreciating the White House.
From Slate ● Sep. 1, 2026
With a logic problem, asking people to explain themselves doesn’t impair their ability to come up with the answers.
From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell
This damage impairs the ability of nerves to carry electrical messages from the brain to the rest of the body - including those needed for the precise control of muscles needed to walk.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
High blood sugar impairs immune function and narrows vessels that carry oxygen-rich blood, making it harder for skin to heal.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 14, 2026
America’s current structural weakness against supply disruptions impairs its geopolitical position and gives U.S. adversaries a tempting target.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 3, 2026
"We found that, contrary to popular belief, closing one's eyes actually impairs the ability to detect these sounds," said author Yu Huang.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 20, 2026
This blindness impairs us in every act of communication.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
It creates cinema without pictures, with people who are blind and visually impaired using sound to tell stories and bring them to life.
From BBC ● Nov. 11, 2026
When the connection becomes impaired, muscles may respond less effectively to nerve signals.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 10, 2026
“At least until the cold impaired their cognitive functions, they knew exactly where they were,” the author writes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026
She referred to a longstanding American legal doctrine, which stipulates that a court's right to hold a trial is not impaired if the suspect has been the subject of a forceful abduction.
From BBC ● Oct. 22, 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
The Cheshire native suffered a stroke in 2013, impairing his ability to walk.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
“This highlights a new order and durability of oil/energy risks as the war transitions, notably, from temporary disruptions to more lasting capacity destruction impairing the production and passage of oil and gas,” Varathan said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 19, 2026
“In particular, how effective drones are in impairing production and transportation of crude via the Strait of Hormuz.”
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 28, 2026
One of these players applied light pressure on Alisson while their other player duelled with Virgil van Dijk, impairing his movement.
From BBC ● Nov. 22, 2025
This is because the act of describing a face has the effect of impairing your otherwise effortless ability to subsequently recognize that face.
From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
