Meanings
comparative more impotent · superlative most impotent
- Incapable of sexual intercourse, often because of an inability to achieve or sustain an erection, having impotentia coeundi.
A person smeared with the excrement of a mouse was rendered impotent, according to Pliny the Elder.
1961, Harry E. Wedeck, Dictionary of Aphrodisiacs, New York: The Citadel Press, page 158 - obsoleteLacking self-restraint
Then, impotent of tongue (her ſilence broke) / Thus turbulent in rattling tone ſhe ſpoke.
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 444Synonyms: incontinent
plural impotents
- A man who has erectile dysfunction
Synonyms: wet noodle · Antonyms: priapist
- An impotent or powerless person
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveLacking self-restraint
More synonyms by meaning
adjective(of a male) unable to copulate
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinimpotēns
- Old Frenchimpotent
- Englishimpotent
From Old French impotent, from Latin impotēns, from in- (expresses negation) + potēns (“powerful”).
More words from Old French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek ἄστυτος
- ἄστυτος (ástutos)incapable of sexual intercourse
Bulgarian слаб, безсилен
- слаб (slab)lacking physical strength or vigor; weak
- безсилен (bezsilen)lacking physical strength or vigor; weak
- безпомощен (bezpomošten)lacking in power, as to act effectively; helpless
- импотентен (impotenten)incapable of sexual intercourse
- импотентен (impotenten)sterile
Catalan impotent, impotent
- impotentlacking physical strength or vigor; weak
- impotentlacking in power, as to act effectively; helpless
- impotentincapable of sexual intercourse
- impotentsterile
Chinese Mandarin 不舉 /不举, 不行
- 不舉 /不举 (bùjǔ)incapable of sexual intercourse
- 不行 (bùxíng)incapable of sexual intercourse
Czech impotentní
- impotentníincapable of sexual intercourse
Dutch impotent
- impotentincapable of sexual intercourse
Esperanto senpova, senpova
- senpovalacking physical strength or vigor; weak
- senpovalacking in power, as to act effectively; helpless
- impotentaincapable of sexual intercourse
French impuissant
- impuissantlacking physical strength or vigor; weak
German impotent
- impotentincapable of sexual intercourse
Hindi नामर्द, नपुंसक
- नामर्द (nāmard)lacking physical strength or vigor; weak
- नपुंसक (napunsak)lacking physical strength or vigor; weak
- नामर्द (nāmard)lacking in power, as to act effectively; helpless
- नपुंसक (napunsak)lacking in power, as to act effectively; helpless
- नामर्द (nāmard)incapable of sexual intercourse
- नपुंसक (napunsak)incapable of sexual intercourse
- नामर्द (nāmard)sterile
- नपुंसक (napunsak)sterile
Italian debole, impotente
- debolelacking physical strength or vigor; weak
- impotentelacking in power, as to act effectively; helpless
- impotenteincapable of sexual intercourse
Russian бесси́льный, сла́бый
- бесси́льный (bessílʹnyj)lacking physical strength or vigor; weak
- сла́бый (slábyj)lacking physical strength or vigor; weak
- бесси́льный (bessílʹnyj)lacking in power, as to act effectively; helpless
- сла́бый (slábyj)lacking in power, as to act effectively; helpless
- беспо́мощный (bespómoščnyj)lacking in power, as to act effectively; helpless
- импоте́нтный (impoténtnyj)incapable of sexual intercourse
- страда́ющий импотенцией (stradájuščij impotencijej)incapable of sexual intercourse
- стери́льный (sterílʹnyj)sterile
Spanish impotente, impotente
- impotentelacking physical strength or vigor; weak
- impotentelacking in power, as to act effectively; helpless
Swedish impotent
- impotentincapable of sexual intercourse
Tagalog limawon
- limawonincapable of sexual intercourse
Ukrainian безси́лий, безси́льний
- безси́лий (bezsýlyj)lacking physical strength or vigor; weak
- безси́льний (bezsýlʹnyj)lacking physical strength or vigor; weak
- безси́лий (bezsýlyj)lacking in power, as to act effectively; helpless
- безси́льний (bezsýlʹnyj)lacking in power, as to act effectively; helpless
- імпоте́нтний (impoténtnyj)incapable of sexual intercourse
Cite this entry
impotent. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/impotent
“impotent.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/impotent. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “impotent,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/impotent.
Source: impotent on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.