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impaired

[im-paird]

||

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR impaired ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

weakened, diminished, or damaged: impaired hearing; 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.

Origin of impaired

Related formsun·im·paired, adjective

impair

¹

[im-pair]

verb (used with object)

to make or cause to become worse; diminish in ability, value, excellence, etc.; weaken or damage: to impair one's health; to impair negotiations.

verb (used without object)

to grow or become worse; lessen.

noun

Archaic. impairment.

Origin of impair

¹

1250–1300; Middle English empairen, empeiren to make worse < Middle French empeirer, equivalent to em- im-¹ + peirer to make worse < Late Latin pējōrāre, equivalent to Latin pējōr-, stem of pējor worse + -ā- thematic vowel + -re infinitive suffix; cf. pejorative

Related formsim·pair·a·ble, adjectiveim·pair·er, nounim·pair·ment, nounnon·im·pair·ment, nounpre·im·pair·ment, nounself-im·pair·a·ble, adjectiveself-im·pair·ing, adjectiveun·im·pair·a·ble, adjective

Synonyms for impair

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR impair ON THESAURUS.COM

1. See injure.

Antonyms for impair

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for impaired

damaged, harmed, defective, flawed, debilitated, hurt, down, broken, spoiled, busted, marred, imperfect, kaput, unsound

Examples from the Web for impaired

Contemporary Examples of impaired

Girma realized that law was her best tool to get equal footing for herself and the wider population of impaired Americans.
TEDx Talks Have a Disability Problem—but This Incredible Young Woman Is Working to Change That
Nina Strochlic
November 5, 2014
Without independence, both in fact and in appearance, objectivity is impaired.
Who Inspects the Inspector?
Michael Tomasky
August 20, 2013
As it does so, however, it is impaired and heavily influenced by its own horrific failings of nearly a century ago.
Why Europe’s Response to the Cyprus Crisis Has Been Ineffectual
Daniel Gross
March 24, 2013
AmEx announced Thursday that its earnings would be impaired by three major charges.
American Express Charges Backward, Laying Off 5,400
Daniel Gross
January 11, 2013
They are, he said, serial huggers who often have impaired relationships with same-sex companions.
Jerry Sandusky Trial, Day Six: Dottie Defends Her Man
Diane Dimond
June 19, 2012

Historical Examples of impaired

Lydia's perfectly concrete faith was not impaired in the least.
The Prisoner
Alice Brown
About the last year his sight, which had been impaired for many years, failed.
The Standard Oratorios
George P. Upton
Time cannot change it, nor can it be impaired by the decrees of tyranny or of justice.
Stories of Comedy
Various
The bey was always pleasant with me, but my influence was impaired.
The Nabob, Volume 1 (of 2)
Alphonse Daudet
So his judgment is impaired and the moral dignity of his soul debased.
Aims and Aids for Girls and Young Women
George Sumner Weaver

British Dictionary definitions for impaired

impair

verb

(tr) to reduce or weaken in strength, quality, etchis hearing was impaired by an accident

Derived Formsimpairable, adjectiveimpairer, nounimpairment, noun

Word Origin for impair

C14: from Old French empeirer to make worse, from Late Latin pējorāre, from Latin pejor worse; see pejorative

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for impaired

impair

v.

late 14c., earlier ampayre, apeyre (c.1300), from Old French empeirier (Modern French empirer), from Vulgar Latin *impeiorare "make worse," from assimilated form of in- "into, in" (see in- (2)) + Late Latin peiorare "make worse" (see pejorative). In reference to driving under the influence of alcohol, first recorded 1951 in Canadian English. Related: Impaired; impairing.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper