debilitate

verb

de·​bil·​i·​tate di-ˈbi-lə-ˌtāt 

dē-

debilitated; debilitating

transitive verb

: to impair the strength of : enfeeble

sailors debilitated by scurvy

an economy debilitated by years of civil war

debilitation

di-ˌbi-lə-ˈtā-shən 

dē-

noun

Did you know?

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.

Synonyms of debilitate

• weaken
• soften

Choose the Right Synonym for debilitate

weaken, enfeeble, debilitate, undermine, sap, disable mean to lose or cause to lose strength or vigor.

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

enfeeble implies a condition of marked weakness and helplessness.

enfeebled by starvation

debilitate suggests a less marked or more temporary impairment of strength or vitality.

the debilitating effects of surgery

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

disable suggests bringing about impairment or limitation in a physical or mental ability.

disabled by an injury sustained at work

Examples of debilitate in a Sentence

The virus debilitates the body's immune system.

the heart surgery debilitated the college athlete beyond his worst fears

Recent Examples on the Web

Kerr took a leave of absence to recover from debilitating complications following two back surgeries, then missed time again in 2017 with Mike Brown filling in as Kerr underwent a procedure to deal with a spinal fluid leak. —Janie McCauley, Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2026

Some are less fortunate, living with debilitating injuries and emotional trauma, to say nothing of the siblings, parents, family and friends of the students who died. —Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 9 May 2026

Veterinary staff determined the animal's condition would deteriorate over time, leading to debilitating pain and quality of life issues, the release stated. —Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 8 May 2026

In August 2025, Jackie Kirwan — a 65-year-old from Liverpool, England — lost her daughter Georgie Peterson, 33, to complications from a rare brain disorder that caused debilitating seizures. —Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 8 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin debilitatus, past participle of debilitare to weaken, from debilis weak

First Known Use

1533, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for debilitate

• abbreviate
• accelerate
• accommodate
• accumulate
• acuminate
• adjudicate
• adulterate
• affiliate
• agglomerate
• agglutinate
• alleviate
• amalgamate

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Kids Definition

debilitate

verb

de·​bil·​i·​tate di-ˈbil-ə-ˌtāt 

debilitated; debilitating

: to reduce the strength of : weaken

debilitation

-ˌbil-ə-ˈtā-shən 

noun

Medical Definition

debilitate

transitive verb

de·​bil·​i·​tate di-ˈbil-ə-ˌtāt 

debilitated; debilitating

: to impair the strength of

a body debilitated by disease

debilitation

-ˌbil-ə-ˈtā-shən 

noun