1
as in sterile
not able to produce fruit or offspring
most mules are impotent
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in helpless
unable to act or achieve one's purpose
an impotent ruler who was just a figurehead
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of impotent
But this is the first time in recent memory in which the will of the majority feels both irrelevant and totally impotent.
—
Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 13 Jan. 2026
This unsettling thriller about impotent (emotionally, literally) university professor Ali (Turkish star Ekin Koç), on the path to vengeance after the suspicious death of his mother, scored strong reviews (including my own) and the World Cinema Directing Award out of the Utah festival.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 14 Nov. 2025
Yet the Jets' offense was again impotent.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 19 Oct. 2025
Ethics without efficiency are impotent.
—Karlo Tanjuakio, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for impotent
Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 13 Jan. 2026
This unsettling thriller about impotent (emotionally, literally) university professor Ali (Turkish star Ekin Koç), on the path to vengeance after the suspicious death of his mother, scored strong reviews (including my own) and the World Cinema Directing Award out of the Utah festival.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 14 Nov. 2025
Yet the Jets' offense was again impotent.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 19 Oct. 2025
Ethics without efficiency are impotent.
—Karlo Tanjuakio, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for impotent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impotent
Adjective
-
The hospice movement that emerged in the latter half of the last century improved conditions for patients in the later years of life, replacing sterile, clinical hospital settings with holistic care centered on pain management, dignity, and quality of life.—
Tom Koutsoumpas,
Oc Register,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Schaffner said sterile male files that can't impregnate females were created in a laboratory.—
Mary Kekatos,
ABC News,
22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Punk appeared helpless as Reigns picked him up.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
20 Apr. 2026
-
The show’s name referred to their self-identification as helpless babies overwhelmed by the pressures of modernity, comforted only by coating themselves in fancy serums and moisturizers to recreate the peaceful, placental insulation of the womb.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The experience gave me a front-row seat to the coast’s dramatic beauty, and also a lesson in the abundance of the Arctic, a region often assumed to be barren.—
Karen Gardiner,
Travel + Leisure,
25 Apr. 2026
-
This isn't to say every single post-starburst galaxy is totally barren.—
Paul Sutter,
Space.com,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Now at 21, Lucy’s family is helping her rebuild after the spinal stroke left her paralyzed from the neck down.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
23 Apr. 2026
-
After colliding with a car that ended up in her racing path on Sunday, she's been left paralyzed from the neck down.—
Conor Wight,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Viel made a weak pass that led to the goal but had a strong hit on McDavid in the opening 20 minutes as well.—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
25 Apr. 2026
-
With the uncertainty caused by the war with Iran, the price of oil going through the roof, and tariffs complicating company supply chains, analysts expected the labor market to get weaker.—
Jim Edwards,
Fortune,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Impotent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impotent. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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