To save this word, you'll need to log in.
de·bil·i·tat·ing | \ di-ˈbi-lə-ˌtā-tiŋ 
, dē- \
, dē- \Definition of debilitating
: 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
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on debilitating
What made you want to look up debilitating? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
Intact Latin Quiz
- What did focus mean in Latin?
Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridgedWords at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games
- Intact Latin Quiz
What did each of these words mean to ancient Romans?
Take the quiz - The Eponym Quiz
Do you know these words that come from names?
Take the quiz - Spell It
Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
Take the quiz - Dictionary Devil
The dictionary has been scrambled—can you put it back together?
Play the game
Share debilitating
Time Traveler for debilitating
The first known use of debilitating was in 1641
See more words from the same year