impair
/ɪmˈpɛɹ/verb
impair is spelled I-M-P-A-I-R: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 31,549th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, impair means “To weaken; to affect negatively; to have a diminishing effect on” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in impair?
| Letters | 6: I-M-P-A-I-R |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 1 million words; the 31,549th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is impair?
Impair appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 31,549th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce impair?
- UK /ɪmˈpɛə/
- UK /ɪmˈpɛː/
- US /ɪmˈpɛɹ/
Impair has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-impair.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with impair?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as impair from its last stressed vowel (/ɛɹ/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of impair
- impairs present, singular, he/she/it
- impairing participle, present
- impaired participle, past
- more impair comparative
- most impair superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does impair mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To weaken; to affect negatively; to have a diminishing effect on.
- 2
archaicTo grow worse; to deteriorate.
adjective
- 1
obsoleteNot fit or appropriate; unsuitable.
noun
- 1
obsoleteThe act of impairing or deteriorating.
- 2
obsoleteThe fact of being impaired or having grown worse.
- 3
obsoleteAn impairment or deterioration.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Impair in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense have a diminishing effect on:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | détériorer, abîmer, affaiblir, affecter, altérer, impacter |
| German | beeinträchtigen, schädigen, beschädigen, schwächen, vermindern, verschlechtern |
| Portuguese | prejudicar, enfraquecer, diminuir, empiorar, piorar |
| Spanish | deteriorar, empeorar, descomponer, mermar |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does impair come from?
From Middle English impairen, empeiren, from Old French empeirier, from Early Medieval Latin impeiōrāre, from in- + Late Latin peiōrāre (“worsen”), from peiōrem (“worse”), comparative of malus (“bad”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).