impotent

[ im-puh-tuhnt ]

adjective

1. not potent; lacking power or ability.

   Synonyms: helpless, powerless

2. utterly unable (to do something).

   Synonyms: helpless, powerless

3. without force or effectiveness.

   Synonyms: weak, feeble, ineffective, ineffectual

4. lacking bodily strength or physically helpless.
5. (of a male) unable to attain or sustain a penile erection.
6. (especially of a male) sterile.
7. Obsolete. without restraint.

noun

1. an impotent person:

   therapy for sexual impotents.

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
3. obsolete.
   lacking self-control; unrestrained

Derived Forms

• ˈimpotently, adverb
• ˈimpotence, noun

Other Words From

• impo·tent·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of impotent¹

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

Example Sentences

The problem is clear—substantial government reforms in the face of impotent majority opposition can destabilize a democracy.

From Time

All those other parties are small and mostly impotent because the two major parties have been successful at constraining upstarts.

From Washington Post

They have watched in impotent fury as the coronavirus pandemic has boosted governing parties such as Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union and incumbent leaders such as Giuseppe Conte in Italy, pushing them to the political margins.

From Ozy

Businesses, if no longer quite oblivious to global warming, seemed impotent to make changes that might slow it.

From MIT Technology Review

Chevy Chase’s bumbling Gerald Ford made America see the accomplished athlete as awkward and impotent.

From Vox

As the protagonist gets herself off in front of her impotent husband, she moans “Oh, Gronky.”

From The Daily Beast

He was prescribed a course of hormone pills that caused him to grow breasts and rendered him impotent.

From The Daily Beast

Of course, what people like Erickson and Sarah Palin want the House to do is impeach Obama, not file an impotent lawsuit.

From The Daily Beast

Chicago is a city imperiled by impotent leadership that is unwilling to face down this crisis.

From The Daily Beast

This is a bad plan, and totally impotent when it comes to preventing daytime break-ins.

From The Daily Beast

As so much time has elapsed since the orders were given, the persons that ordered them are quite impotent.

From Project Gutenberg

For the third time she watched a coronet slip through her strong determined impotent fingers.

From Project Gutenberg

Hamburg writhed impotent at his feet and the "heavy arm of justice fell on the canaille."

From Project Gutenberg

Dine darted after him to box his ears, words being impotent, and Tessa went into the house.

From Project Gutenberg

She clasped her thin hands in a frenzy of impotent rage—with Anne Ashton had lain the real triumph, with herself the sacrifice.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• helpless
• inadequate
• incapable
• incompetent
• ineffective
• ineffectual
• inept
• paralyzed
• powerless
• weak