weaken

verb

weak·en | \ ˈwē-kən

weakened; weakening\ ˈwēk-niŋ

, ˈwē-kə- \

Definition of weaken

transitive verb

1 : to make weak : lessen the strength of

2 : to reduce in intensity or effectiveness

intransitive verb

: to become weak

Other Words from weaken Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym Example Sentences Learn More about weaken

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Choose the Right Synonym for weaken

weaken, enfeeble, debilitate, undermine, sap, cripple, 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 cripple implies causing a serious loss of functioning power through damaging or removing an essential part or element. crippled by arthritis disable suggests bringing about impairment or limitation in a physical or mental ability. disabled by an injury sustained at work

Examples of weaken in a Sentence

The disease weakens the immune system. Some are concerned that the increase in taxes will weaken the economy. The beams had been weakened by water damage. efforts to weaken environmental laws The recent setbacks have not weakened our resolve. These kinds of contradictions weaken your argument. The disease causes the immune system to weaken. The dollar has continued to weaken against the euro. Lower interest rates have weakened the dollar.

Recent Examples on the Web

These poses held the potential to reduce pain, strengthen muscles that weakened from my unevenness, improve balance and mobility, and propel me toward a more aligned state. — Lauren Depino, Glamour, "My Scoliosis Caused Me Pain and Shame—Then It Helped Me Learn to Find Alignment," 10 Apr. 2019 According to Pew, the number of immigrants in the U.S. illegally had reached a height of 12.2 million in 2007, representing about 4 percent of the U.S. population, before declining in part because of a weakening U.S. economy. — Hope Yen, The Seattle Times, "AP FACT CHECK: Trump claims innocence in probe; wall myths," 7 Jan. 2019 Charles Harder, part of President Donald Trump’s legal team, is pushing the Supreme Court to hear a lawsuit that could weaken legal protections for web platforms. — Adi Robertson, The Verge, "Donald Trump’s lawyer asks Supreme Court to hear a case that could weaken web platforms’ legal protections," 24 Oct. 2018 Scientists have found evidence showing weakening Arctic jet streams are more likely due to global warming. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "The Polar Vortex Looks Absolutely Chilling From Space," 1 Feb. 2019 Intel cited a weakening market for NAND flash, and forecast that the trend will continue. — Mark Hachman, PCWorld, "Intel addresses processor shortages, CEO hunt after reporting disappointing fourth-quarter results," 24 Jan. 2019 Dean Foods canceled contracts because of the weakening milk market, Leman said. — Liz Rieth, Post-Tribune, "Low milk prices contributing to loss of Indiana dairy farms," 3 July 2018 Per Bloomberg, keeping the three-year-old mercury rules intact while weakening the justification behind them is the Trump administration's attempt to appease both sides of this issue. — Megan Geuss, Ars Technica, "EPA to keep Obama-era mercury rules, but make it harder to tighten them," 26 Dec. 2018 At the same time, the two main parties could see the other as weakened, tempting them to make maximalist demands. — Brian Rohan, The Seattle Times, "Expectations low as Yemen’s warring parties meet for talks," 4 Dec. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'weaken.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.