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
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.
BBC News NI has contacted IMC Cinemas for a response and asked other cinema chains what services they provide for blind and visually impaired audiences.
From BBC • May 6, 2026
Under questioning, Clayton said he did not believe Erickson and Grossman were impaired when they left Julio’s.
From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026
Although the accident impaired her dad physically, he never lost his critical eye for detail, she says.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 26, 2026
When mutations disrupt this channel, pH regulation is impaired.
From Science Daily • Mar. 26, 2026
“I would say, learn to hear me in my own voice. I’m hearing impaired, not invisible.”
From "Beauty Queens" by Libba Bray
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.
