impair
1 Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
noun
adjective
verb
Related Words
See injure.
Other Word Forms
- impairable adjective
- impairer noun
- impairment noun
- nonimpairment noun
- preimpairment noun
- self-impairable adjective
- self-impairing adjective
- unimpairable adjective
Etymology
Origin of impair1
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English empairen, empeiren “to make worse,” from Middle French empeirer, from em- im- 1 + peirer “to make worse” (from Late Latin pējōrāre, verb derivative of Latin pējor “worse”; pejoration )
Origin of impair2
First recorded in 1820–30; from French: literally, “odd,” from Latin impār “odd, unequal”; equivalent to im- 2 ( def. ) + pair 2 ( def. )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“In particular, how effective drones are in impairing production and transportation of crude via the Strait of Hormuz.”
From MarketWatch
Your boss is expressing his frustration in a way that wouldn’t encourage anyone to work harder and could even impair your performance.
From MarketWatch
Boland says that while it isn’t overly concerning, an uptick in gross impaired loans was notable after trending down in recent quarters.
Reasons include a person falling into a coma, a form of dementia like Alzheimer’s, head injury or a stroke that impairs their ability to think or express their wishes.
From MarketWatch
Or if exits of current positions don’t go well, or simply take a long time, that impairs the ability to raise future funds and continue fee growth.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
