impotent

[ im-puh-tuhnt ]
See synonyms for impotent on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. not potent; lacking power or ability.

  2. utterly unable (to do something).

  1. without force or effectiveness.

  2. lacking bodily strength or physically helpless.

  3. (of a male) unable to attain or sustain a penile erection.

  4. (especially of a male) sterile.

  5. Obsolete. without restraint.

noun
  1. an impotent person: therapy for sexual impotents.

Origin of impotent

1
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin impotent-, stem of impotēns “without power over oneself or others”; equivalent to im-2 + potent1

Other words for impotent

Other words from impotent

  • im·po·tent·ly, adverb

Words Nearby impotent

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use impotent in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for impotent

impotent

/ (ˈɪmpətənt) /


adjective
  1. (when postpositive, often takes an infinitive) lacking sufficient strength; powerless

  2. (esp of males) unable to perform sexual intercourse: See erectile impotence

  1. obsolete lacking self-control; unrestrained

Derived forms of impotent

  • impotence, impotency or impotentness, noun
  • impotently, adverb

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