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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of impotent
However, as Google points out, the evolution of quantum computers threatens to make such protections impotent.
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Davey Winder, Forbes, 18 Sep. 2024
The town’s working-class citizens are sick of being neglected and left in impotent chaos.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Sep. 2024
Robinson’s obsessive and volatile (but also hyper-earnest) screen persona so perfectly crystallizes a modern form of impotent male rage that it’s become a language unto itself on the internet, where everyone leads with their id.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 10 Sep. 2024
As Israel’s current war in Gaza has unfolded, Abbas has remained impotent and irrelevant, and even his fiefdom in the West Bank has begun to crumble.
—Khaled Elgindy, Foreign Affairs, 30 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for impotent 
Davey Winder, Forbes, 18 Sep. 2024
The town’s working-class citizens are sick of being neglected and left in impotent chaos.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Sep. 2024
Robinson’s obsessive and volatile (but also hyper-earnest) screen persona so perfectly crystallizes a modern form of impotent male rage that it’s become a language unto itself on the internet, where everyone leads with their id.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 10 Sep. 2024
As Israel’s current war in Gaza has unfolded, Abbas has remained impotent and irrelevant, and even his fiefdom in the West Bank has begun to crumble.
—Khaled Elgindy, Foreign Affairs, 30 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for impotent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impotent
Adjective
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One current method used for mosquito control is called the sterile insect technique, which works by releasing many sterile males to mate with females, who tend to mate with only one partner.Sharon Udasin, The Hill, 5 Nov. 2024
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These tests require you to pee into a sterile cup so your healthcare provider can check for protein and waste products in your urine.Lindsay Curtis, Health, 19 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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While Chris Smith lay helpless, authorities say Tarr was plotting to silence him forever.Erin Moriarty, CBS News, 2 Nov. 2024
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This creates a helpless but highly effective kind of suspense, as Iris must rely on her tormentor to mess up, at least until her limbs start to respond again.Peter Debruge, Variety, 25 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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Striking images from the Sahara Desert show large lakes etched into rolling sand dunes after one of the most arid, barren places in the world was hit with its first floods in decades.Laura Paddison, CNN, 14 Oct. 2024
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The result is a barren playa, wide swaths of sand and earth.Shaun McKinnon, The Arizona Republic, 28 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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The intoxicating collab with the Hole lead vocalist came as a pleasant surprise on the LP, as listeners are left floating to space while simultaneously feeling paralyzed and sinking to the depths of the ocean.Michael Saponara, Billboard, 18 Nov. 2024
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Between the lines: Any period of uncertainty could see the country thrust into a time of legal drama, paralyzed governance and overall distrust, as Axios' Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen reported.Adam Tamburin, Axios, 5 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Other checks on Trump’s policy will also be far weaker.Daniel W. Drezner, Foreign Affairs, 12 Nov. 2024
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Each endpoint can be assessed to sniff out weak points.PCMAG, PCMAG, 6 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near impotent
Cite this Entry
“Impotent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impotent. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
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