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impotente

powerless

adjective eem-poh-TEN-teh Rare

Also means

impotent

Usage Note

Impotente can describe either a general inability to act — feeling helpless in the face of events — or, in a medical context, male erectile dysfunction. The noun forms are impotencia (powerlessness/impotence) and impotente is invariable in gender, taking only number agreement: impotentes. In everyday speech the political/emotional sense is far more frequent than the medical one.

Examples

"Me sentí impotente ante la situación."

Natural Translation

I felt powerless in the face of the situation.

Literal Translation

To-me I-felt powerless before the situation.

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