debilitate

verb

debilitated; debilitating

transitive verb

: to impair the strength of : enfeeble
sailors debilitated by scurvy
an economy debilitated by years of civil war

Did you know?

Debilitate, enfeeble, undermine, and sap all share the general sense "to weaken." But while debilitate holds the distinction among these words of coming from the Latin word for "weak"—debilis—it packs a potent punch. Often used of disease or something that strikes like a disease or illness, debilitate might suggest a temporary impairment—but a pervasive one at that. Enfeeble, a very close synonym of debilitate, connotes a pitiable, but often reversible, condition of weakness and helplessness. Undermine and sap suggest a weakening by something working surreptitiously and insidiously.

Choose the Right Synonym for debilitate

weaken, enfeeble, debilitate, undermine, sap, disable mean to lose or cause to lose strength or vigor.

weaken may imply loss of physical strength, health, soundness, or stability or of quality, intensity, or effective power.

a disease that weakens the body's defenses

enfeeble implies a condition of marked weakness and helplessness.

enfeebled by starvation

debilitate suggests a less marked or more temporary impairment of strength or vitality.

the debilitating effects of surgery

undermine and sap suggest a weakening by something working surreptitiously and insidiously.

a poor diet undermines your health
drugs had sapped his ability to think

disable suggests bringing about impairment or limitation in a physical or mental ability.

disabled by an injury sustained at work

Examples of debilitate in a Sentence

The virus debilitates the body's immune system. the heart surgery debilitated the college athlete beyond his worst fears
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Mangione reportedly suffered from debilitating back pain and underwent surgery to treat it in recent years. Tatiana Siegel, Variety, 16 Dec. 2024 And while Mangione, like millions of people, apparently suffered from debilitating back pain, excellent health care is not generally an issue for Americans of great wealth. Bret Stephens, The Mercury News, 14 Dec. 2024 Since then, more information has emerged about a young man from a well-to-do Baltimore family who appeared to suffer from debilitating back pain and suddenly disappeared about six months ago. Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 9 Dec. 2024 The Order goes beyond that, showing us the inherent danger of magnetic leaders, as well as the debilitating toll of chasing an evil that sometimes seems uncontainable. Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 6 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for debilitate 

Word History

Etymology

Latin debilitatus, past participle of debilitare to weaken, from debilis weak

First Known Use

1533, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of debilitate was in 1533

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Dictionary Entries Near debilitate

Cite this Entry

“Debilitate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/debilitate. Accessed 1 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

debilitate

verb
debilitated; debilitating
: to reduce the strength of : weaken

Medical Definition

debilitate

transitive verb
debilitated; debilitating
: to impair the strength of
a body debilitated by disease

More from Merriam-Webster on debilitate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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