This is the 4681st most frequent German word.
vermochte
"Vermochte" is the past tense (subjunctive/indicative) of "vermögen," meaning "was able to" or "managed to."
In this sentence, 'vermochte' is used as the past tense of 'vermögen', implying the ability or capability to accomplish something.
Er vermochte, das Problem ohne fremde Hilfe zu lösen.
He managed to solve the problem without external help.
Here, 'vermochte' provides the sense of inability in the context, describing someone's lack of capability in a given situation.
Sie vermochte nicht, ihre Katze zu retten.
She was unable to rescue her cat.
In this example, 'vermochte' depicts the capability or functional state concerning an object, indicating its limitation or end of usefulness.