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debilitate
verb
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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.
Synonyms
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.
enfeeble implies a condition of marked weakness and helplessness.
debilitate suggests a less marked or more temporary impairment of strength or vitality.
disable suggests bringing about impairment or limitation in a physical or mental ability.
Examples of debilitate in a Sentence
Word History
Latin debilitatus, past participle of debilitare to weaken, from debilis weak
1533, in the meaning defined above
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Cite this Entry
“Debilitate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/debilitate. Accessed 1 Jan. 2025.
Kids Definition
debilitate
verbMedical Definition
debilitate
transitive verbMore from Merriam-Webster on debilitate
Nglish: Translation of debilitate for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of debilitate for Arabic Speakers
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