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

Several 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

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

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

Critical infrastructure organizations, including hospitals and water systems, are being bombarded with unsophisticated but debilitating cyberattacks. —Maria Curi, Axios, 14 Aug. 2024

The 49ers did not game-planning but appeared to get out of the game without a debilitating injury. —Jerry McDonald, The Mercury News, 12 Aug. 2024

The study looked at money saved by averting deaths and medical bills from preventable but debilitating illnesses that could have lifelong effects. —Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY, 8 Aug. 2024

Because some conditions and diseases are more debilitating than others, public health officials and policymakers have ways of defining just how disruptive and limiting each may be. —Daryl Austin, USA TODAY, 26 Mar. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1641, in the meaning defined above

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