impotently

Adverb

impotently (comparative more impotently, superlative most impotently)

1. In an impotent manner.
   • Yet in every such instance—and there are scores of them—the Justices can do nothing but impotently point toward future action after Yessing or Noing past action by men in a position to act.1955, Fred Rodell, “Powerful, Irresponsible, and Human”, in Nine Men: A Political History of the Supreme Court from 1790 to 1955, New York, N.Y.: Random House, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 12