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impotent

/ˈɪm.pə.tənt/adjective, noun

impotent is spelled I-M-P-O-T-E-N-T: 8 letters and 3 syllables. It appears 1.1 times per million words in written English, the 27,462nd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, impotent means “Lacking physical strength or vigor; weak” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).

How many letters and syllables are in impotent?

Letters8: I-M-P-O-T-E-N-T
Syllables3 (from its American pronunciation)
In writing1.1 times per million words; the 27,462nd most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search

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).

How common is impotent?

Impotent appears 1.1 times per million words in written English, the 27,462nd 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 impotent?

  • /ˈɪm.pə.tənt/
  • /ˈɪm.pə.tɪnt/

Impotent has 3 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-impotent.wav, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Wodencafe-impotent.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

Forms of impotent

  • more impotent comparative
  • most impotent superlative
  • impotents plural

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does impotent mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

adjective

  1. 1

    Lacking physical strength or vigor; weak

  2. 2

    Lacking in power, as to act effectively; helpless

  3. 3

    Incapable of sexual intercourse, often because of an inability to achieve or sustain an erection, having impotentia coeundi.

  4. 4

    Sterile

  5. 5

    obsoleteLacking self-restraint

noun

  1. 1

    A man who has erectile dysfunction

  2. 2

    An impotent or powerless person

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

Impotent in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Frenchimpuissant (lacking physical strength or vigor; weak)
Spanishimpotente (lacking physical strength or vigor; weak)
Germanimpotent (incapable of sexual intercourse)

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 impotent come from?

From Old French impotent, from Latin impotēns, from in- (expresses negation) + potēns (“powerful”).

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

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