impotent

Lacking physical strength or vigor; weak

Adjective

  1. Lacking physical strength or vigor; weak

    Synonyms: feeble puny weak

  2. Lacking in power, as to act effectively; helpless
    • Technology without morality is barbarous; morality without technology is impotent - 1984, Freeman J. Dyson, Weapons and Hope:

    Synonyms: helpless powerless

  3. Incapable of sexual intercourse, often because of an inability to achieve or sustain an erection, having impotentia coeundi.
    • A person smeared with the excrement of a mouse was rendered impotent, according to Pliny the Elder. - 1961, Harry E. Wedeck, Dictionary of Aphrodisiacs, New York: The Citadel Press, page 158:
  4. Sterile
  5. Lacking self-restraint
    • Then, impotent of tongue (her ſilence broke) / Thus turbulent in rattling tone ſhe ſpoke. - a. 1701 (date written), John Dryden, “The First Book of Homer’s Ilias”, in The Miscellaneous Works of John Dryden, […], volume...

    Synonyms: incontinent

Origin

From Old French impotent, from Latin impotēns, from in- (expresses negation) + potēns (“powerful”).

Forms

more impotent most impotent

Antonyms

potent

Related

impotence

Derived

impotently impotentness nonimpotent self-impotent

Noun

  1. A man who has erectile dysfunction

    Synonyms: wet noodle

    Antonyms: priapist

  2. An impotent or powerless person

Forms

impotents