impair

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Middle English impairen, empeiren, from Old French empeirier, variant of empirier (“to worsen”), from Vulgar Latin *impēiōrō, from im- + Late Latin pēiōrō (“to make worse”), from peior (“worse”), comparative of malus (“bad”).

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /ɪmˈpɛə/
  • Audio (RP)(file)
  • Rhymes: -ɛə(ɹ)

Verb

impair (third-person singular simple present impairs, present participle impairing, simple past and past participle impaired)

  1. (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.
  2. (intransitive, archaic) To grow worse; to deteriorate.

Synonyms

Derived terms

Translations

Adjective

impair (comparative more impair, superlative most impair)

  1. (obsolete) Not fit or appropriate; unsuitable.

Further reading
  • impair in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
  • impair in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911
  • impair at OneLook Dictionary Search

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin impār, equivalent to im- +‎ pair.

Adjective

impair (feminine impaire, masculine plural impairs, feminine plural impaires)

  1. odd (of a number)
    Antonym: pair
    3 est un nombre impair. ― 3 is an odd number.

Antonyms

Derived terms

Further reading

Anagrams
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