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.
Examples of debilitate in a Sentence
Audiofile Magazine
june 27, Literary Hub, 27 June 2025
This creates the disturbing possibility that insurers might use algorithms to withhold care for expensive, long-term or terminal health problems , such as chronic or other debilitating disabilities.
—Jennifer D. Oliva, The Conversation, 20 June 2025
During the years following the mail bomb threat, Harold had also begun an intensive self-defence training regimen partly as a way of waylaying his debilitating state of constant paranoia.
—Hazlitt, 18 June 2025
Despite these debilitating struggles, VanHoose continued to work toward a four-year degree in food service and beverage management.
—Karla Walsh, Bon Appetit Magazine, 16 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for debilitate
Cite this Entry
“Debilitate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/debilitate. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
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debilitate
verb
Medical Definition
debilitate
transitive verb
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