debilitating
adjective
de·bil·i·tat·ing
di-ˈbi-lə-ˌtā-tiŋ 
dē-
: causing serious impairment of strength or ability to function
debilitating pain
a debilitating fear of public speaking
a debilitating illness
Thirty years have passed since a vaccine wiped out polio, but some of those who conquered the debilitating disease as children are now experiencing symptoms that seem all too familiar.—
Fay Knicely
Fay KnicelySeveral of these drugs are now in clinical testing to determine whether they can reduce or eliminate the debilitating nausea suffered by cancer patients on chemotherapy.—Ron Cowen
Ron Cowen
debilitatingly
adverb
Debilitatingly asthmatic as a child, Scarfe developed his talent while amusing himself and acquired the cynicism for authority that empowers his … drawings and sculpture during many frightening encounters with medical incompetence.
—Ray Olson
Ray Olson
Did you know?
The verb debilitate (and its adjective form debilitating) comes from the Latin word for "weak," debilis. Often used of disease—as in, "the patient was debilitated"—it can also suggest something that strikes like a disease or illness, "the actor was debilitated by stage fright." In sum, the word suggests a temporary impairment or a condition of weakness and helplessness.
Examples of debilitating in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
McCone’s most debilitating symptom was shortness of breath.
—Farah Aziz Annesha, The Mercury News, 16 Feb. 2025
Most recently, The Substance, widely touted as a tongue-in-cheek feminist narrative mocking the debilitating limits of Hollywood beauty culture, kills off its heroine (Demi Moore) in the most gruesome, punishing way.
—Valerie Monroe, Allure, 25 Dec. 2024
In his short time since arriving, Sands had helped his team remain tough to beat, in spite of a debilitating injury list, while also allowing the intricacy of the attacking football to improve.
—Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, The Athletic, 16 Feb. 2025
In a Reddit post shared Wednesday, Feb. 5, a user explained how a debilitating illness kept her from celebrating her wedding day with not just her family and friends, but most importantly, her husband.
—Angel Saunders, People.com, 7 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for debilitating
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Farah Aziz Annesha, The Mercury News, 16 Feb. 2025
Most recently, The Substance, widely touted as a tongue-in-cheek feminist narrative mocking the debilitating limits of Hollywood beauty culture, kills off its heroine (Demi Moore) in the most gruesome, punishing way.
—Valerie Monroe, Allure, 25 Dec. 2024
In his short time since arriving, Sands had helped his team remain tough to beat, in spite of a debilitating injury list, while also allowing the intricacy of the attacking football to improve.
—Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, The Athletic, 16 Feb. 2025
In a Reddit post shared Wednesday, Feb. 5, a user explained how a debilitating illness kept her from celebrating her wedding day with not just her family and friends, but most importantly, her husband.
—Angel Saunders, People.com, 7 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for debilitating
Cite this Entry
“Debilitating.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/debilitating. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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