impuissant

adjective

(ˌ)im-ˈpwi-sᵊnt How to pronounce impuissant (audio)
Definition of impuissantnext
as in helpless
unable to act or achieve one's purpose claims that such restrictions on military interventions on foreign soil would render the nation an impuissant giant on the world stage

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for impuissant
  1. helpless
  2. paralyzed
  3. weak
  4. high and dry
  5. incompetent
Adjective
  • The moment when the couple’s infant child is taken from them by the authorities is devastating, each of them capturing a sense of helpless isolation from themselves, their community and each other.
    — Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026
  • But the funding cuts mean more and more families like Zarmina's are left helpless.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of helpless
Adjective
  • Hasan was left paralyzed from the waist down after being shot in the back by law enforcement and now uses a wheelchair.
    — Seung Min Kim, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
  • When her aunt Helena and paralyzed grandmother Regina arrive, the fragile boundaries between everyday life, ancestral superstition and Trina’s increasingly disturbing nightmares begin to collapse.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of paralyzed
Adjective
  • Studies have shown that countries with stronger IP systems tend to be more innovative, while weaker IP systems may stifle innovation.
    — Andrei Iancu, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Are scientists hindered by a weak grasp of the physics driving GRBs?
    — Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of weak
Adjective
  • My first boyfriend left me high and dry just before it, and another guy took me.
    — Jeremy Rellosa, Curbed, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The unofficial end of summer left some boaters in Minnesota high and dry over Labor Day weekend.
    — Nick Lunemann, CBS News, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of high and dry
Adjective
  • Powell said Escobar showed up to Friday’s meeting on-duty, with his crew on a fire engine, and called some board members incompetent.
    — Alene Tchekmedyian, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Court records obtained by CBS News Atlanta reveal that a judge declared 54-year-old Jonathan Hamby incompetent, putting him on a separate competency docket.
    — Dan Raby, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of incompetent
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

impuissance
impuissant
impulse
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Cite this Entry

“Impuissant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impuissant. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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