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Meaning & use

impaired

adjective·Academic

Last updated

UK/ɪmˈpeəd/
US/ɪmˈperd/

Meanings

  1. adjectivecomparable

    Not working as well as it should because of damage or weakness.

    Grammar: Used before a noun or after be: impaired vision.

    Patterns

    • impaired by something

    His judgment was impaired by lack of sleep.

    The disease left her hearing impaired.

    Impaired memory is common after a head injury.

  2. adjectivebefore a nounlegal

    Unable to think or act safely because of alcohol or drugs.

    Grammar: Often part of impaired driving.

    He was charged with impaired driving.

    Impaired drivers cause many crashes.

    The pilot was grounded because he seemed impaired.

  3. adjectivecomparable

    Having a physical or mental condition that limits a function, used in combination with a noun.

    Grammar: Often joined with a hyphen: visually impaired.

    Patterns

    • visually impaired

    The library has books for the visually impaired.

    Hearing-impaired students use sign language.

    The school has a special program for mobility-impaired pupils.

Common combinations

visually impaired
Visually impaired passengers can ask for help at the station.
hearing impaired
The theater offers subtitles for the hearing impaired.
severely impaired
Her lung function was severely impaired.
impaired judgment
Anger gave him impaired judgment.
impaired driving
Impaired driving carries heavy fines.
cognitively impaired
The nurse helps cognitively impaired patients.

Synonyms and how they differ

damaged
Damaged is broader and can describe objects, while impaired mainly describes a function or ability.
weakened
Weakened suggests reduced strength, whereas impaired can mean partly lost function.
diminished
Diminished implies something has become smaller or less, and is less clinical.
disabled
Disabled describes a person with a long-term condition and can sound blunt, while impaired is more clinical and often describes the function.

Opposites

intactunimpaired

Word family

impair verb
to weaken or damage a function
impairment noun
a loss of or damage to an ability
unimpaired adjective
not damaged, working normally

Commonly confused: impaired or impeded?

impaired vs impeded

Impeded means slowed or blocked, while impaired means weakened or damaged.

Practice

The doctor said her memory had been ___ by the illness.

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