Word · Frequency #13692
impotent
无力的；虚弱的；无效的
核心释义
lacking power or ability; ineffective
- 1.
缺乏体力或精力的；虚弱的。
Lacking physical strength or vigor; weak
- 2.
缺乏行动能力的；无能为力的。
Lacking in power, as to act effectively; helpless
- 3.
无法进行性交的,常因无法勃起或维持勃起,即阳痿。
Incapable of sexual intercourse, often because of an inability to achieve or sustain an erection, having impotentia coeundi.
- 4.
不育的。
Sterile
阳痿的；缺乏体力或精力的；虚弱的。；缺乏行动能力的；无能为力的。；无法进行性交的,常因无法勃起或维持勃起,即阳痿。；不育的。
用法In use
When the car broke down on the highway, Sam felt completely impotent because he had no phone signal.
用法提示：impotent 在此处是形容词，作 felt 的表语，意为“无能为力的”。
The manager's warning sounded like an impotent threat, because everyone knew he could not fire them.
用法提示：impotent 在这里作定语修饰 threat，表示“无效的、不起作用的”。
She was impotent to persuade her parents to let her study abroad, so she finally gave up.
用法提示：impotent 作表语，后接不定式 to persuade，表示“无能力做某事”。
be impotent
直接用做表语，表示状态。
The government was impotent in the face of the crisis.
政府在危机面前无能为力。
be impotent to do sth
相关词与表达Connections
搭配Collocations
- feel impotent
- 感到无能为力
- I felt impotent when I could not help my family.当无法帮助家人时，我感到无能为力。
- impotent rage
- 无力的愤怒；愤懑
- He pounded the table in impotent rage.他气得直捶桌子，却又无能为力。
- politically impotent
- 政治上无力的
- After the defeat, the party was politically impotent.失败之后，该党在政治上已无能为力。
- render sb/sth impotent
- 使……无能为力；使……失去效力
- The scandal rendered the government impotent.丑闻使政府无能为力。
- sexually impotent
学习提示Learner notes
记忆技巧Memory Tip
记住 potent（有力的）加否定前缀 im-，impotent 就是“无力的”。联想：im（不）+ potent（有力）→ 无力。
语境与语域Context & Register
语域：formal 常见场景：formal writing、political commentary、literary works impotent 表示“无力/无能为力”时多用于正式或书面语境；日常口语中通常更常说 powerless 或 helpless。
发音与拼写Pronunciation & Spelling
None of these words rhymes exactly with “impotent” /ˈɪmpətənt/. “potent” and “omnipotent” look like they share the same ending, but the stressed vowel and stress pattern are different. “competent” ends in “-tent” like “impotent” but has a different stressed vowel. “important” and “impatient” only share the “im-”/“impo-” spelling; their endings sound quite different. Pay attention to the stress: the target stress is on the first syllable.
用法优先级Usage priority
Collins 词频等级为 1，建议结合例句记忆，而不是只背中文释义。
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Dictionary facts from ECDICT, WIKTIONARY.