Literary notes about Impaired (AI summary)
The word "impaired" in literature typically denotes a reduction or diminishment in strength, function, or quality, whether that pertains to physical, mental, or abstract states. In some works, it describes tangible deterioration: for instance, a material’s magnetic qualities are impaired ([1]) or a character’s vision is permanently damaged ([2], [3]). In other contexts it subtly conveys a weakening of personal or collective efficacy, such as when intellectual faculties remain unimpaired despite adversity ([4], [5]) or when unity essential for battle is compromised ([6]). Writers also use the term metaphorically, suggesting that prolonged exposure to adverse conditions—be it old age or external turmoil—can impair not only physical health ([7], [8]) but also affect moral or social standing ([9], [10]), thus enriching the narrative with layers of vulnerability and resilience.
- For instance, the presence of a small amount of manganese in cast-iron gives clean castings, but the magnetic qualities of the material are impaired.
— from The New Gresham Encyclopedia. A to Amide by Various - He impaired his vision by holding the object too close.
— from The Works of Edgar Allan Poe — Volume 1 by Edgar Allan Poe - Was struck by a spent ball in his right eye, which was seriously impaired for life.
— from The Waterloo Roll Call by Charles Dalton - His intelligence did not seem to be impaired.
— from The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America by Thomas Jefferson - Judging by his imposing appearance, his powers did not seem in any way impaired by the exertions of the previous night.
— from Laura Middleton; Her Brother and her Lover by Anonymous - This, of course, impaired the unity requisite in battle.
— from The Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government, Volume 2 by Jefferson Davis - The reason that he left college was that his health became impaired.
— from The Elements of Style by William Strunk - But I now find my bodily health impaired by old age, for I am eighty years old: on which account I am unable to come to you.
— from The Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers by Diogenes Laertius - It is not an easy point to determine whether his independence would be most promoted or impaired by such an arrangement.
— from The Federalist Papers by Alexander Hamilton and John Jay and James Madison - but it is marred and impaired by sloth, luxury, and too full habit?
— from Plutarch's Morals by Plutarch
