Meaning & use
Impair
Last updated
To weaken, damage, or reduce the strength, quality, or effectiveness of something.
See it in a sentence
Lack of sleep can impair a person's judgment and reaction time.
The flood impaired the factory's ability to operate for weeks.
A note on using this word
Impair traces back to Latin pejorare, "to make worse," the same root that gives Spanish peor and French pire, both meaning "worse."
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