Word: impair (verb)

Associations

"Impair" means to make something weaker or worse, especially in quality, strength, or ability.

• The loud noise can impair your hearing. (It makes your hearing worse.)
• Smoking can impair your health. (It damages your health.)
• Lack of sleep may impair your concentration. (It reduces your ability to focus.) A well-known synonym is "damage." The difference is that "damage" often means physical harm, while "impair" can mean harm to abilities or qualities, not just physical things.

Substitution

You can use words like "weaken," "damage," or "harm" instead of "impair."

• "Weaken" focuses on reducing strength.
• "Damage" often means physical harm.
• "Harm" is more general and can mean any kind of injury or negative effect. Using these changes the meaning slightly but keeps the idea of making something worse.

Deconstruction

The root of "impair" comes from Latin "impedire," meaning "to hinder or obstruct."

• "Im-" is a prefix meaning "not" or "opposite of."
• "Pair" comes from Latin "par," meaning "equal." So, "impair" means to make something not equal or less good than before.

Inquiry

• Can you think of a time when something impaired your ability to do a task?
• How would you explain the difference between "impair" and "damage" to a friend?
• What are some things in daily life that can impair your performance or health?