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Powerless vs Impotent - What's the difference?

powerless | impotent | Synonyms |

Impotent is a synonym of powerless.



As adjectives the difference between powerless and impotent

is that powerless is lacking sufficient power or strength while impotent is lacking physical strength or vigor; weak.

powerless

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Lacking sufficient power or strength.
    • You are powerless to stop me
  • *
  • Lacking legal authority.
    • The traffic warden was powerless to stop me driving away.

    Derived terms

    * powerlessness * superpowerless

    Synonyms

    * strengthless * weak * vulnerable

    Antonyms

    * powerful * strong

    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

    Related terms

    * impotence