Definition of enervate
: lacking physical, mental, or moral vigor : enervated
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enervate was our Word of the Day on 07/03/2011. Hear the podcast!
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First Known Use of enervate
1603
Definition of enervate
enervated;
enervating
1
: to reduce the mental or moral vigor of
2
: to lessen the vitality or strength of
Examples of enervate in a Sentence
a lifetime of working in dreary jobs had enervated his very soul
the surgery really enervated me for weeks afterwards
Recent Examples of enervate from the Web
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What made West’s increasingly enervated stream of tweets so fascinating was their commitment to a principle of absolute freedom.
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Soderbergh's enervated editing (under his usual alias, Mary Ann Bernard) seldom locates a pulse in the feeble material, let alone one that keeps racing.
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Spending lots of time on your back, May has found, is strangely enervating -- and distracting.
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Frum has the pamphleteer’s flair for the scathing epithet, which can be energizing or enervating, depending on your tolerance for hyperbole.
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Seemingly immune to political norms, his brassy courting of scandal is frustrating attempts to effectively govern, enervating progress on health care and tax reform.
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Most of the Africans dotted across the asphalt in tents or sprawled on mattresses in the enervating heat of a Roman summer have no permission to be there either.
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Capitalism enriches a society but also risks enervating the senses and the spirit by shrinking human aspirations into material acquisitiveness.
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Modern America, with its enervating comforts — including cosseting parents — and present-minded education that produces cultural amnesia, must deliberately make its citizens.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'enervate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Did You Know?
Enervate is a word that some people use without really knowing what it means. They seem to believe that because "enervate" looks a little bit like "energize" and "invigorate" it must share their meaning - but it is actually their antonym. "Enervate" comes from the Latin word enervare, which was formed from the prefix e-, meaning "out of," and "-nervare" (from nervus, meaning "sinew or nerve"). So, etymologically at least, someone who is enervated is "out of nerve."
Origin and Etymology of enervate
Latin enervatus, past participle of enervare, from e- + nervus sinew — more at nerve
NEW! Time Traveler
First Known Use: 1605
in the meaning defined at sense 1
See Words from the same yearenervate Synonyms
Synonyms
castrate, damp, dampen, deaden, dehydrate, desiccate, devitalize, lobotomize, petrify;
Near Antonyms
excite, ferment, fire, foment, incite, inflame (also enflame), instigate, kindle, provoke, spark, trigger, whip (up);
abet, boost, buoy, cheer, embolden, fortify, hearten, inspire, lift;
Related Words
burn out, debilitate, do in, drain, enfeeble, exhaust, fatigue, sap, tucker (out), undermine, weaken, wear, wear out;
Synonym Discussion of enervate
unnerve, enervate, unman, emasculate mean to deprive of strength or vigor and the capacity for effective action. unnerve implies marked often temporary loss of courage, self-control, or power to act.
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- unnerved by the near collision
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- a nation's youth enervated by affluence and leisure
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- a soldier unmanned by the terrors of battle
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- an amendment that emasculates existing safeguards
ENERVATE Defined for English Language Learners
Definition of enervate for English Language Learners
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: to make (someone or something) very weak or tired
Medical Dictionary
medical Definition of enervate
enervated;
enervating
1
obsolete
: to cut the nerves or tendons of
2
: to lessen the vitality or strength of
- heat enervates people
Learn More about enervate
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See words that rhyme with enervate Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for enervate Spanish Central: Translation of enervate Nglish: Translation of enervate for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of enervate for Arabic speakers
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