different between barren vs impotent

English

Etymology

From Middle English barein, barain, from Old French baraigne, baraing (“sterile; barren”), of obscure origin; probably from a Germanic language, perhaps Frankish *bar (“bare; barren”), from Proto-Germanic *bazaz (“bare”). More at bare.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?bæ??n/
• Rhymes: -ær?n
• Homophone: baron (in some accents)

Adjective

barren (comparative barrener or more barren, superlative barrenest or most barren)

1. (not comparable) Unable to bear children; sterile.
   • 1599, William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar:

     Forget not, in your speed, Antonius,
     To touch Calpurnia; for our elders say,
     The barren, touched in this holy chase,
     Shake off their sterile curse.

   I silently wept as my daughter's husband rejected her. What would she do now that she was no longer a maiden but also barren?

2. Of poor fertility, infertile; not producing vegetation.
3. Bleak.
4. Unproductive; fruitless; unprofitable; empty.
   • 1843, William H. Prescott, History of the Conquest of Mexico

     brilliant but barren reveries

   • Augusr 28, 1731, Jonathan Swift, letter to John Gay

     But schemes are perfectly accidental. Some will appear barren of hints and matter, but prove to be fruitful.
5. Mentally dull; stupid.
   • 1599-1602, William Shakespeare, Hamlet, III, ii

     Set on some quantity of barren spectators to laugh too.

Synonyms

• sterile

Antonyms

• fertile
• fruitful

Translations

Noun

barren (plural barrens)

1. An area of low fertility and habitation, a desolate place.

   The pine barrens are a site lonely enough to suit any hermit.

Translations

Anagrams

• Barner

Basque

Pronunciation

• (standard) IPA^(key): /ba.ren/

Etymology 1

Adjective

barren (comparative barrenago, superlative barrenen, excessive barrenegi)

1. deep

Declension

Noun

barren inan

1. interior
2. guts, stomach
3. (figuratively) soul, spirit

Declension

Etymology 2

barren

1. A particle used to give certainty or emphasis.

Further reading

• “barren” in Euskaltzaindiaren Hiztegia, euskaltzaindia.eus
• “barren” in Orotariko Euskal Hiztegia, euskaltzaindia.eus

Catalan

Verb

barren

1. third-person plural present indicative form of barrar

Norwegian Bokmål

Noun

barren m

1. definite singular of barre

Norwegian Nynorsk

Noun

barren m

1. definite singular of barre

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?baren/, [?ba.r?n]

Verb

barren

1. Second-person plural (ustedes) present indicative form of barrer.
2. Third-person plural (ellos, ellas, also used with ustedes^?) present indicative form of barrer.

Swedish

Noun

barren

1. definite singular of barr
2. definite plural of barr

English

Etymology

From Old French impotent, from Latin impot?ns, from in- (expresses negation) + pot?ns (“powerful”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??m.p?.t?nt/, /??m.p?.t?nt/

Adjective

impotent (comparative more impotent, superlative most impotent)

1. lacking physical strength or vigor; weak

   Synonyms: feeble, puny, weak

2. lacking in power, as to act effectively; helpless
   • 1984', Freeman J. Dyson, Weapons and Hope

     Technology without morality is barbarous; morality without technology is impotent

   Synonyms: helpless, powerless

3. incapable of sexual intercourse, often because of an inability to achieve or sustain an erection
4. (of a male) sterile
5. (obsolete) lacking self-restraint

   Synonym: incontinent

Antonyms

• potent

Related terms

• impotence

Translations

Noun

impotent (plural impotents)

1. a man who has erectile dysfunction

   Synonym: wet noodle

   Antonym: priapist

2. an impotent or powerless person

Catalan

Etymology

From Latin impot?ns.

Adjective

impotent (masculine and feminine plural impotents)

1. (medicine) impotent
2. impotent, powerless, helpless

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??.p?.t??/
• Homophone: impotents

Adjective

impotent (feminine singular impotente, masculine plural impotents, feminine plural impotentes)

1. infirm, disabled
2. impotent

Middle French

Adjective

impotent m (feminine singular impotente, masculine plural impotens, feminine plural impotentes)

1. impotent (incapable of sexual intercourse)

Polish

Etymology

From Latin impot?ns.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /im?p?.t?nt/

Noun

impotent m pers

1. (pathology) impotent (man who has erectile dysfunction)

Declension

Related terms

• (noun) impotencja

Further reading

• impotent in Wielki s?ownik j?zyka polskiego, Instytut J?zyka Polskiego PAN
• impotent in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Romanian

Etymology

From French impotent, from Latin impotens.

Adjective

impotent m or n (feminine singular impotent?, masculine plural impoten?i, feminine and neuter plural impotente)

1. impotent

Declension