impaired; impairing; impairs
: to diminish in function, ability, or quality : to weaken or make worse
It has been known for nearly 100 years that memory is impaired by bilateral damage to either of two brain regions …—
Larry R. Squire
Larry R. SquireThe use of drugs further complicates the situation of these families and sometimes impairs their ability to raise children.—Ellen L. Bassuk
Ellen L. Bassuk… the prospect of generating normal profitability is impaired by excessive debt service.—John Nozell
John NozellThe physician also checks for signs of endometriosis, a condition … sometimes impairing fertility.—Martha Southgate
Martha Southgate
impairer
noun
… the overwhelming majority of hookups involved alcohol use—an impairer of sexual judgment if ever there was one …
—Tiffany Sharples
Tiffany Sharples
Synonyms
Examples of impair in a Sentence
Smoking can impair your health.
Drinking impairs a person's ability to think clearly.
His memory was so impaired by age that he often forgot where he was.
Recent Examples on the Web
Malabsorption: Conditions like celiac disease, Crohn's disease, or other gastrointestinal conditions can impair your body's ability to absorb iron—even if dietary intake is sufficient.
—Lindsay Curtis, Health, 5 Nov. 2024
Finally, Roach highlighted household products retailer SharkNinja and drinkware manufacturer Yeti as two other names that could be impaired by tariff increases.
—Lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 4 Nov. 2024
Excessive stress impairs the ability to think strategically.
—Daria Rudnik, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
Trophy hunters are taking as many as 20% of the lion population each year, impairing the ability of the population as a whole to conduct its disease-cleansing function.
—Thomas Pool, The Denver Post, 30 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for impair 
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Lindsay Curtis, Health, 5 Nov. 2024
Finally, Roach highlighted household products retailer SharkNinja and drinkware manufacturer Yeti as two other names that could be impaired by tariff increases.
—Lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 4 Nov. 2024
Excessive stress impairs the ability to think strategically.
—Daria Rudnik, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
Trophy hunters are taking as many as 20% of the lion population each year, impairing the ability of the population as a whole to conduct its disease-cleansing function.
—Thomas Pool, The Denver Post, 30 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for impair
Dictionary Entries Near impair
Cite this Entry
“Impair.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impair. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
impair
verb
im·pair
im-ˈpa(ə)r 
-ˈpe(ə)r
: to damage or make worse by or as if by making smaller, less, or weaker
smoking can impair one's health
Medical Definition
impair
transitive verb
im·pair
im-ˈpa(ə)r, -ˈpe(ə)r
: to diminish in function, ability, or quality : to weaken or make worse
It has been known for nearly 100 years that memory is impaired by bilateral damage to either of two brain regions …—Larry R. Squire
Larry R. SquireThe physician also checks for signs of endometriosis, a condition in which the cells that normally compose the uterine lining grow outside the uterus, sometimes impairing fertility.—Martha Southgate
Martha SouthgateLegal Definition
impair
transitive verb
im·pair
im-ˈper
1
: to damage or make worse by or as if by diminishing
impaired health
2
: to diminish the value of (property or property rights)
specifically
: to diminish the value of (legal contractual obligations) to the point that a party loses the benefit of the contract or the contract otherwise becomes invalid
a law impairing a state's own obligations was entitled to less deference —Gerald Gunther
see also contract clause
Gerald Gunther
impairment
noun
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