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impair. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
impair, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
impair in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
impair you have here. The definition of the word
impair will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
impair, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Etymology
From Middle English impairen, empeiren, from Old French empeirier, from Early Medieval Latin impeiōrāre, from in- + Late Latin peiōrāre (“worsen”), from peiōrem (“worse”), comparative of malus (“bad”).
Pronunciation
Verb
impair (third-person singular simple present impairs, present participle impairing, simple past and past participle impaired)
- (transitive) To weaken; to affect negatively; to have a diminishing effect on.
2020 January 22, Stuart Jeffries, “Terry Jones obituary”, in The Guardian:In 2016, it was announced that Jones had been diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia, a form of dementia that impairs the ability to communicate.
- (intransitive, archaic) To grow worse; to deteriorate.
Synonyms
Derived terms
Translations
have a diminishing effect on
- Bulgarian: намалявам (bg) (namaljavam), отслабвам (bg) (otslabvam)
- Cherokee: ᎠᏲᏍᏙᏗ (ayosdodi)
- Dutch: beschadigen (nl), verzwakken (nl), verslechteren (nl)
- Finnish: haitata (fi), heikentää (fi)
- French: détériorer (fr), abîmer (fr), affaiblir (fr), affecter (fr), altérer (fr), impacter (fr)
- German: (1) beeinträchtigen (de), schädigen (de) (reputation), beschädigen (de), schwächen (de), vermindern (de), verschlechtern (de), schmälern (de)
- Gothic: 𐌼𐌰𐍂𐌶𐌾𐌰𐌽 (marzjan)
- Hungarian: ront (hu), elront (hu), rongál (hu), megrongál (hu), károsít (hu), csorbít (hu), gyengít (hu), meggyengít (hu), csökkent (hu), megrendít (hu)
- Ido: domajar (io)
- Maori: whakahauā
- Portuguese: prejudicar (pt), enfraquecer (pt), diminuir (pt), empiorar, piorar (pt)
- Romanian: afecta (ro), diminua (ro), deteriora (ro)
- Russian: ослабля́ть (ru) (oslabljátʹ)
- Spanish: deteriorar (es), empeorar (es), descomponer (es), mermar (es)
- Turkish: azaltmak (tr), kötüleştirmek (tr), zarar vermek (tr), zayıflatmak (tr), sınırlamak (tr)
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Adjective
impair (comparative more impair, superlative most impair)
- (obsolete) Not fit or appropriate; unsuitable.
c. 1602, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Troylus and Cressida”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene v]:giues he not till iudgement guide his bounty, / Nor dignifies an impaire thought with breath:
Noun
impair (plural impair or impairs)
- (obsolete) The act of impairing or deteriorating.
- (obsolete) The fact of being impaired or having grown worse.
- (obsolete) An impairment or deterioration.
1671, Thomas Watson, The Beatitudes, pages 146–147:Suppoſe a mans credit ſhould ſuffer an impair with thoſe whoſe cenſure is not to be valued; yet think, which is worſe, ſhame or ſin? Wilt thou ſin againſt God to ſave thy credit?
Further reading
- “impair”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
- “impair”, in The Century Dictionary , New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
- “impair”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
French
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin impār. By surface analysis, im- + pair.
Adjective
impair (feminine impaire, masculine plural impairs, feminine plural impaires)
- odd (of a number)
- Antonym: pair
- 3 est un nombre impair. ― 3 is an odd number.
Antonyms
Derived terms
Further reading
Anagrams