Synonym Chooser

How is the word disable distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of disable are cripple, debilitate, enfeeble, sap, undermine, and weaken. While all these words mean "to lose or cause to lose strength or vigor," disable suggests bringing about impairment or limitation in a physical or mental ability.

disabled by an injury sustained at work

When might cripple be a better fit than disable?

While the synonyms cripple and disable are close in meaning, cripple implies causing a serious loss of functioning power through damaging or removing an essential part or element.

crippled by arthritis

When is debilitate a more appropriate choice than disable?

The meanings of debilitate and disable largely overlap; however, debilitate suggests a less marked or more temporary impairment of strength or vitality.

the debilitating effects of surgery

When could enfeeble be used to replace disable?

Although the words enfeeble and disable have much in common, enfeeble implies a condition of marked weakness and helplessness.

enfeebled by starvation

How are the words undermine and sap related as synonyms of disable?

Both 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

When is it sensible to use weaken instead of disable?

While in some cases nearly identical to disable, 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

Examples of disable in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The government uses taxes from working people to pay benefits to people who have already retired, people who are disabled, the survivors of workers who have died, and dependents of beneficiaries. Adriana Morga and Cora Lewis, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2024 The Feature button enables/disables the power-saving mode with a long press and toggles stereo pairing mode with a double press. PCMAG, 8 Oct. 2024 For its part, Ticketmaster has always maintained that artists have the option of disabling dynamic pricing for any event. Chris Welch, The Verge, 30 Sep. 2024 Meanwhile, Secret Service also denied specific requests for additional measures such as a second system to detect and disable a drone such as that Crooks used earlier when the one on site was temporarily inoperable. Todd Spangler, Detroit Free Press, 25 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for disable 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'disable.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Thesaurus Entries Near disable

Cite this Entry

“Disable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disable. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on disable

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