impotence

Examples

• All

• Then, overwhelmed by his impotence, he lets out a terrifying yell.

  Fiction book (2000)

• Hence, the agony of foreknowledge combined with the impotence to do anything about it.

  Twelve Monkeys (1995)

• Resigned to be the victims of fear, of violence, of social impotence.

  Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1 (2012)

• Society demonstrates its impotence in the face of a concrete problem by removing words from the language.

  Nymphomaniac: Vol. II (2013)

• Or, it may reflect a sense of impotence to stem or change the tide.

  Academic text (1994)

• Kennedy felt tears on his face and knew suddenly that they were the tears of impotence.

  Fiction book (1990)

• Rather than a New Industrial State, this era will disclose the new impotence of the state.

  Academic text (1991)

• The puzzling impotence of Canadian industry is a long-running problem that predates the recent commodity boom.

  Academic text (2017)

• The political impotence of Saad Hariri (left), head of the Sunni Future Trend party, was clear.

  Academic text (2013)

• Facing such difficult challenges, she felt a deep sense of impotence watching her friends suffer.

Synonyms

I

inability

vsimpotence

177 2.8

Not able to do something you need to do

focuses on lacking power or strength rather than general lack of skill

W

weakness

vsimpotence

133 1.4

Lack of physical or mental strength that makes someone less able to act

is used more for lack of power or force rather than task failure

I

incompetence

vsimpotence

92 4.4

Failing to do a job well because of lack of skill

concerns lack of skill rather than overall lack of power or strength

P

powerlessness

vsimpotence

9 5.8

A feeling of being unable to control or change what happens

is about lacking power or strength not only control or influence

I

incapacity

vsimpotence

9 5.4

Not able to do things because your body or mind does not work well

highlights lack of power or strength rather than task failure

I

incompetency

vsimpotence

3 6.8

Lack of ability to do a job or task well

focuses on poor performance or skill not general weakness of power

I

impotency

vsimpotence

1 7.9

Lack of power to change things

is the same meaning but a different written form

I

inertness

vsimpotence

1 7.5

A state of not moving or not reacting to change

means lack of power or strength in broader ways beyond movement

I

incapability

vsimpotence

1 6.0

Not being able to do something because you lack the ability

refers more to lacking strength or power than missing potential

L

lameness

vsimpotence

• Slang

1 6.2

A weak, unconvincing argument or excuse

is about lacking power or strength rather than being imperfect

F

feebleness

vsimpotence

1 5.2

A lack of strength in an argument or evidence

implies lack of power generally rather than low quality alone

I

impuissance

vsimpotence

• Literature

9.9

A feeling of being unable to change things

covers general lack of strength rather than helpless inability to act

I

incapableness

vsimpotence

7.4

A lack of ability to do something

is about lacking power or strength rather than general inability

Antonyms

P

power

∞ 3.4

Ability to control people or events

S

strength

∞ 1.2

Physical or mental power a person has to act

Compounds

A

anti-impotence drug

• Specialized

3.4

A drug that helps men who cannot get or keep an erection

How Strong

frailty

3 5.0

weakness

133 1.4

impotence

10 7.4

powerlessness

9 5.8

helplessness

25 3.8

Surface Forms

Morphology

Etymology