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Impair
Definitions
- 1 Not fit or appropriate; unsuitable. obsolete
"giues he not till iudgement guide his bounty, / Nor dignifies an impaire thought with breath:"
- 1 The act of impairing or deteriorating. obsolete
- 2 The fact of being impaired or having grown worse. obsolete
- 3 An impairment or deterioration. obsolete
"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?"
- 1 To weaken; to affect negatively; to have a diminishing effect on. transitive
"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 make worse or less effective wordnet
- 3 To grow worse; to deteriorate. archaic, intransitive
"Flesh may empaire,[…]but reason can repaire."
- 4 make imperfect wordnet
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”).
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”).
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”).
See also for "impair"
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Unscramble this word: impair