Synonyms for impotent
- adjective
Synonyms by meaning
Adjective
1. Ineffectual — lacking physical strength or vigor; weak
ineffectual, weak, feeble, effete, useless, ineffective, incompetent, incapable, enfeebled, puny, frail, infirm, wasted, languid, enervated, lame, debilitated, anemic US, anaemic UK, flimsy, faint, imbecile dated
2. Powerless — lacking in power, as to act effectively; helpless
powerless, helpless, unable, disabled, forsaken, noneffective
Other
Definitions
- adj. 1
Lacking physical strength or vigor; weak
- adj. 2
Lacking in power, as to act effectively; helpless
Related words
- Word family
- impotently impotentness impotence
Example sentences
- useless There's nothing in here but a lot of useless junk.
- feeble The feeble patient is suffering from stomach cancer.
- ineffectual My efforts seemed ineffectual.
- effete The critics dismissed the film as an effete imitation of earlier, bolder works.
- helpless Ivan was lying on the floor, injured and helpless.
- powerless We are not powerless in the face of these threats.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| impotent | steady | |
| useless | steady | |
| feeble | steady | |
| ineffectual | steady | |
| effete | steady | |
| helpless | rising |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 4 letters
- weak1, lame1, puny2
- 5 letters
- faint1, frail1
- 6 letters
- unable3, wasted2, feeble2, flimsy2, anemic3, infirm2, effete2
- 7 letters
- useless2, languid2, anaemic
- 8 letters
- disabled3, helpless2, forsaken3, imbecile3
- 9 letters
- incapable4, powerless3, enfeebled3, nerveless, enervated
- 11 letters
- ineffective4, incompetent4, ineffectual5, incontinent4, debilitated5
- 12 letters
- unrestrained3, noneffective
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (puny2 = 2 syllables).