: being in an imperfect or weakened state or condition: such as
a
: diminished in function or ability : lacking full functional or structural integrity
Brennan supports the use of corticosteroids in the treatment of inflammation, swelling, pain and impaired joint movement.—
Stan Bergstein
Stan BergsteinFinding jobs can be difficult for visually impaired adults. About 70 percent of them are unemployed, the National Federation of the Blind says.—Eric Aasen
Eric Aasen… some GERD patients have impaired gut motility, meaning that their stomachs empty too slowly.—Andrew Weil
Andrew Weil
b
: unable to function normally or safely (as when operating a motor vehicle) because of intoxication by alcohol or drugs
Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over is the safety advertisement that restaurants and bars will use to remind patrons of the dangers of driving impaired.—Mati Spencer
Mati SpencerSynonyms
- besotted
- blasted [slang]
- blind
- blitzed [slang]
- blotto [slang]
- bombed
- boozy
- canned [slang]
- cockeyed
- crocked
- drunk
- drunken
- fried
- gassed
- hammered [slang]
- high
- inebriate
- inebriated
- intoxicated
- juiced [slang]
- lit
- lit up
- loaded [slang]
- looped
- oiled [slang]
- pickled
- pie-eyed
- plastered
- potted [slang]
- ripped [slang]
- sloshed [slang]
- smashed [slang]
- sottish
- soused
- sozzled
- squiffed
- squiffy
- stewed
- stiff
- stinking [slang]
- stoned
- tanked [slang]
- tiddly [chiefly British]
- tight
- tipsy
- wasted [slang]
- wet
- wiped out [slang]
Examples of impaired in a Sentence
driving while impaired is against the law
special devices for sight-impaired visitors
Recent Examples on the Web
Somebody with impaired vision, conducting a fingertip search, might gather as much as—or more than—a viewer with perfect sight who merely looks.
—Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 21 Nov. 2024
Children, older adults, and people with impaired immune systems are at higher risk for health problems from breathing in toxins from mold exposure.
—Sarah Hudgens, Health, 4 Oct. 2024
He was also required to make a public safety announcement about the dangers of impaired driving.
—Nardine Saad, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2024
Starting in 2018, for example, Massachusetts Institute of Technology neuroscientist Li-Huei Tsai and collaborators showed how impaired lipid processing in specific cell types harboring APOE4 alters them in ways that could cause disease.
—Byjocelyn Kaiser, science.org, 12 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for impaired 
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Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 21 Nov. 2024
Children, older adults, and people with impaired immune systems are at higher risk for health problems from breathing in toxins from mold exposure.
—Sarah Hudgens, Health, 4 Oct. 2024
He was also required to make a public safety announcement about the dangers of impaired driving.
—Nardine Saad, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2024
Starting in 2018, for example, Massachusetts Institute of Technology neuroscientist Li-Huei Tsai and collaborators showed how impaired lipid processing in specific cell types harboring APOE4 alters them in ways that could cause disease.
—Byjocelyn Kaiser, science.org, 12 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for impaired
Dictionary Entries Near impaired
Cite this Entry
“Impaired.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impaired. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
impaired
adjective
im·paired
-ˈpa(ə)rd 
-ˈpe(ə)rd
: being in an imperfect or weakened state or condition: such as
a
: diminished in function or ability : lacking full functional or structural integrity
impaired heart action
b
: intoxicated by alcohol or drugs
driving while impaired
Medical Definition
impaired
adjective
: being in an imperfect or weakened state or condition: as
a
: diminished in function or ability : lacking full functional or structural integrity
Brennan supports the use of corticosteroids in the treatment of inflammation, swelling, pain and impaired movement.—Stan Bergstein
Stan BergsteinFinding jobs can be difficult for visually impaired adults.—Eric Aasen
Eric Aasen
b
: unable to function normally or safely (as when operating a motor vehicle) because of intoxication by alcohol or drugs
driving while impaired
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