impotent

English

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɪm.pə.tənt/, /ˈɪm.pə.tɪnt/

Adjective

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
   • (Can we date this quote by Freeman J. Dyson and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

     Technology without morality is barbarous; morality without technology is impotent

   Synonyms: helpless, powerless

3. incapable of sexual intercourse, often because of an inability to achieve or sustain an erection
4. (of a male) sterile
5. (obsolete) lacking self-restraint
   • (Can we date this quote by Dryden and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

     Impotent of tongue, her silence broke.

   Synonym: incontinent

Antonyms

• potent

Related terms

• impotence

Translations

lacking physical strength or vigor; weak

• Bulgarian: слаб (bg) (slab), безсилен (bg) (bezsilen)
• Catalan: impotent (ca)
• French: impuissant (fr) m
• Hindi: नामर्द (hi) m (nāmard), नपुंसक (hi) m (napunsak)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Italian: debole (it)
• Russian: бесси́льный (ru) (bessílʹnyj), сла́бый (ru) (slábyj)

lacking in power, as to act effectively; helpless

• Bulgarian: безпомощен (bg) (bezpomošten)
• Catalan: impotent (ca)
• Hindi: नामर्द (hi) m (nāmard), नपुंसक (hi) m (napunsak)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Italian: impotente (it)
• Russian: бесси́льный (ru) (bessílʹnyj), сла́бый (ru) (slábyj), беспо́мощный (ru) (bespómoščnyj)

incapable of sexual intercourse

• Bulgarian: импотентен (impotenten)
• Catalan: impotent (ca)
• Czech: impotentní (cs)
• German: impotent (de)
• Greek:

  Ancient: ἄστυτος (ástutos)

• Hindi: नामर्द (hi) m (nāmard), नपुंसक (hi) m (napunsak)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Italian: impotente (it)
• Russian: импоте́нтный (ru) (impoténtnyj), страда́ющий импотенцией (stradájuščij impotencijej)
• Swedish: impotent (sv)
• Tagalog: limawon

sterile

• Bulgarian: импотентен (impotenten)
• Catalan: impotent (ca)
• Hindi: नामर्द (hi) m (nāmard), नपुंसक (hi) m (napunsak)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Russian: стери́льный (ru) (sterílʹnyj)

Noun

impotent (plural impotents)

1. a man who has erectile dysfunction

   Synonym: wet noodle

   Antonym: priapist

2. an impotent or powerless person

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French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɛ̃.pɔ.tɑ̃/
• Homophone: impotents

Adjective

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

1. infirm, disabled
2. impotent

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Middle French

Adjective

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

1. impotent (incapable of sexual intercourse)