impotent

英 ['?mp?t(?)nt] 美['?mp?t?nt]

反義詞

TEM8低頻詞暢通詞匯

副詞:?impotently;名詞:?impotence;

impotent 不起作用的，性無能的

im-,不，非，potent,強(qiáng)有力的，有效的，詞源同power,possible.引申詞義性無能的。

impotent (adj.): late 14c., "physically weak, enfeebled, crippled," from Old French impotent "powerless, weak, incapable," from Latin imponentem (nominative impotens) "lacking control, powerless," from assimilated form of in- "not, opposite of" (see in- (1)) + ponentem (nominative potens) "potent" (see potent).

Meaning "having no power to accomplish anything" is from mid-15c.; that of "completely lacking in sexual power" (of males) is from mid-15c. Middle English also had a native term for this: Cunt-beaten (mid-15c.). The figurative sense in Latin was "without self-control, headstrong, violent." Related: Impotently.

1. The aggression of a bully leaves people feeling hurt, angry and impotent.: 暴徒的侵犯令人們感到痛心、憤怒卻又無能為力。

2. They sit in impotent opposition while the country goes to the dogs.: 國家敗落之際，他們加入了軟弱無力的反對黨。

3. Without the chairman's support, the committee is impotent.: 沒有主席的支持，委員會是無能為力的。

4. We felt quite impotent to resist the will of the dictator.: 我們感到無力抗拒獨(dú)裁者的意志.

5. They were virtually impotent against the power of the large companies.: 他們實(shí)際上無力與實(shí)力雄厚的大公司抗衡.