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Futile vs Impotent - What's the difference?

futile | impotent |

As adjectives the difference between futile and impotent

is that futile is incapable of producing results; useless; not successful; not worth attempting while impotent is lacking physical strength or vigor; weak.

futile

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Incapable of producing results; useless; not successful; not worth attempting.
  • *
  • , title=(The Celebrity), chapter=4 , passage=No matter how early I came down, I would find him on the veranda, smoking cigarettes, or
  • *
  • *:There is an hour or two, after the passengers have embarked, which is disquieting and fussy.Stewards, carrying cabin trunks, swarm in the corridors. Passengers wander restlessly about or hurry, with futile energy, from place to place.
  • *{{quote-news, year=2011, date=December 15, author=Marc Higginson, work=BBC Sport
  • , title= Shamrock Rovers 0-4 Tottenham , passage=Goals from Steven Pienaar, Andros Townsend, Jermain Defoe and Harry Kane sealed the win, but Rubin Kazan's 1-1 draw against PAOK Salonika rendered Spurs' efforts futile .}}

    Synonyms

    * ineffectual * unavailing * vain * idle * fruitless * See also

    Antonyms

    * effectual * effective

    impotent

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Lacking physical strength or vigor; weak.
  • Lacking in power, as to act effectively; helpless
  • * Technology without morality is barbarous; morality without technology is impotent (Freeman J. Dyson).
  • Incapable of sexual intercourse, often because of an inability to achieve or sustain an erection.
  • (of a male) Sterile.
  • (obsolete) Lacking self-restraint.
  • * Dryden
  • Impotent of tongue, her silence broke.

    Synonyms

    * (lacking strength) feeble, puny, weak * (lacking power) helpless, powerless * (incapable of sexual intercourse) * (lacking self-restraint) incontinent

    Antonyms

    * potent