as in inability
the lack of sufficient ability, power, or means
the congressional committee's essential impotence in affecting the management of the war was frustrating to its members
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Recent Examples of impotence
Donald Trump’s one hundred days, from January 20 to April 30, 2025, will stand as a monument to the bloated, twisted power of the American Presidency and to the impotence of the U.S. Congress.
—
Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2025
And as the extent of the damage grew, so too did her feeling of impotence.
—Heather Law, CNN Money, 11 Apr. 2025
Jack Harrison squandered one promising position with a pass that dribbled through to Caoimhin Kelleher, a metaphor for their impotence during the evening.
—Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2025
The response is similar concerning United’s impotence in front of goal.
—Laurie Whitwell, The Athletic, 16 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for impotence
Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2025
And as the extent of the damage grew, so too did her feeling of impotence.
—Heather Law, CNN Money, 11 Apr. 2025
Jack Harrison squandered one promising position with a pass that dribbled through to Caoimhin Kelleher, a metaphor for their impotence during the evening.
—Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2025
The response is similar concerning United’s impotence in front of goal.
—Laurie Whitwell, The Athletic, 16 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for impotence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impotence
inability
Noun
-
Plenty of art is a metaphor for our inability to connect with one another.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
25 May 2025
-
Their bites attack the nervous system, possibly leading to seizures, the inability to walk or the inability to breathe due to respiratory paralysis or extreme swelling in the throat, Willey warned.—
Caleb Lunetta,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Impotence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impotence. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.
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