impotent
English edit
Etymology edit
From Old French impotent, from Latin impotēns, from in- (expresses negation) + potēns (“powerful”).
Pronunciation edit
Adjective edit
impotent (comparative more impotent, superlative most impotent)
- lacking physical strength or vigor; weak
- lacking in power, as to act effectively; helpless
- 1984, Freeman J. Dyson, Weapons and Hope:
- Technology without morality is barbarous; morality without technology is impotent
- incapable of sexual intercourse, often because of an inability to achieve or sustain an erection, having impotentia coeundi
- (of a male) sterile
- (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 edit
Derived terms edit
Related terms edit
Translations edit
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Noun edit
impotent (plural impotents)
- a man who has erectile dysfunction
- Synonym: wet noodle
- Antonym: priapist
- an impotent or powerless person
Catalan edit
Etymology edit
Borrowed from Latin impotentem.
Pronunciation edit
Adjective edit
impotent m or f (masculine and feminine plural impotents)
Further reading edit
- “impotent” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
French edit
Pronunciation edit
Adjective edit
impotent (feminine impotente, masculine plural impotents, feminine plural impotentes)
Further reading edit
- “impotent”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
German edit
Pronunciation edit
Adjective edit
impotent (strong nominative masculine singular impotenter, comparative impotenter, superlative am impotentesten)
Declension edit
Further reading edit
Middle French edit
Adjective edit
impotent m (feminine singular impotente, masculine plural impotens, feminine plural impotentes)
- impotent (incapable of sexual intercourse)
Polish edit
Etymology edit
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
impotent m pers
- (pathology) impotent (man who has erectile dysfunction)
- (derogatory) impotent (person incapable of taking a particular type of action that the situation requires)
- Synonym: eunuch
Declension edit
singular | plural | |
---|---|---|
nominative | impotent | impotenci/impotenty (deprecative) |
genitive | impotenta | impotentów |
dative | impotentowi | impotentom |
accusative | impotenta | impotentów |
instrumental | impotentem | impotentami |
locative | impotencie | impotentach |
vocative | impotencie | impotenci |
Related terms edit
Further reading edit
Romanian edit
Etymology edit
Borrowed from French impotent, from Latin impotens.
Adjective edit
impotent m or n (feminine singular impotentă, masculine plural impotenți, feminine and neuter plural impotente)
Declension edit
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 edit
- impotent in DEX online—Dicționare ale limbii române (Dictionaries of the Romanian language)
Swedish edit
Adjective edit
impotent (not comparable)
- impotent (incapable of sexual intercourse due to being unable to get an erection or the like)
- Antonym: potent
- impotent (powerless)
Declension edit
Inflection of impotent | |||
---|---|---|---|
Indefinite | Positive | Comparative | Superlative2 |
Common singular | impotent | — | — |
Neuter singular | impotent | — | — |
Plural | impotenta | — | — |
Masculine plural3 | impotente | — | — |
Definite | Positive | Comparative | Superlative |
Masculine singular1 | impotente | — | — |
All | impotenta | — | — |
1) Only used, optionally, to refer to things whose natural gender is masculine. 2) The indefinite superlative forms are only used in the predicative. 3) Dated or archaic |