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impotent

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

English

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Etymology

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

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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impotent (comparative more impotent, superlative most impotent)

  1. Lacking physical strength or vigor; weak
    Synonyms: feeble, puny, weak
  2. Lacking in power, as to act effectively; helpless
    Synonyms: helpless, powerless
    • 1984, Freeman J. Dyson, Weapons and Hope:
      Technology without morality is barbarous; morality without technology is impotent
  3. Incapable of sexual intercourse, often because of an inability to achieve or sustain an erection, having impotentia coeundi
  4. (of a male) Sterile
  5. (obsolete) Lacking self-restraint
    Synonym: incontinent
    • a. 1701 (date written), John Dryden, “The First Book of Homer’s Ilias”, in The Miscellaneous Works of John Dryden, [], volume IV, London: [] J[acob] and R[ichard] Tonson, [], published 1760, →OCLC, page 444:
      Then, impotent of tongue (her ſilence broke) / Thus turbulent in rattling tone ſhe ſpoke.

Antonyms

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Derived terms

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Translations

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Noun

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impotent (plural impotents)

  1. A man who has erectile dysfunction
    Synonym: wet noodle
    Antonym: priapist
  2. An impotent or powerless person

Catalan

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Etymology

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Borrowed from Latin impotentem.

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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impotent m or f (masculine and feminine plural impotents)

  1. (medicine) impotent
  2. impotent, powerless, helpless

Further reading

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French

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Pronunciation

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Adjective

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impotent (feminine impotente, masculine plural impotents, feminine plural impotentes)

  1. infirm, disabled
  2. impotent

Further reading

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German

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Pronunciation

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Adjective

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impotent (strong nominative masculine singular impotenter, comparative impotenter, superlative am impotentesten)

  1. impotent
    Antonym: potent

Declension

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Further reading

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  • impotent” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
  • impotent” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon

Middle French

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Adjective

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impotent m (feminine singular impotente, masculine plural impotens, feminine plural impotentes)

  1. impotent (incapable of sexual intercourse)

Polish

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Etymology

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Learned borrowing from Latin impotēns.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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impotent m pers

  1. (pathology) impotent (man who has erectile dysfunction)
  2. (derogatory) impotent (person incapable of taking a particular type of action that the situation requires)
    Synonym: eunuch

Declension

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noun

Further reading

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  • impotent in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
  • impotent in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Romanian

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Etymology

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Borrowed from French impotent, from Latin impotens.

Adjective

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impotent m or n (feminine singular impotentă, masculine plural impotenți, feminine and neuter plural impotente)

  1. impotent

Declension

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singular plural
masculine neuter feminine masculine neuter feminine
nominative-
accusative
indefinite impotent impotentă impotenți impotente
definite impotentul impotenta impotenții impotentele
genitive-
dative
indefinite impotent impotente impotenți impotente
definite impotentului impotentei impotenților impotentelor

Further reading

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Swedish

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Adjective

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impotent (not comparable)

  1. impotent (incapable of sexual intercourse due to being unable to get an erection or the like)
    Antonym: potent
  2. impotent (powerless)

Declension

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Inflection of impotent
Indefinite positive comparative superlative1
common singular impotent
neuter singular impotent
plural impotenta
masculine plural2 impotente
Definite positive comparative superlative
masculine singular3 impotente
all impotenta

1 The indefinite superlative forms are only used in the predicative.
2 Dated or archaic.
3 Only used, optionally, to refer to things whose natural gender is masculine.

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References

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