weaken

verb

weak·​en ˈwē-kən 

weakened; weakening

ˈwēk-niŋ,

ˈwē-kə-  ; weakens

transitive verb

1

: to make weak : lessen the strength of

2

: to reduce in intensity or effectiveness

intransitive verb

: to become weak

weakener

ˈwēk-nər

ˈwē-kə- 

noun

Synonyms

• debilitate
• devitalize
• enervate
• enfeeble
• etiolate
• prostrate
• sap
• soften
• tire
• waste

Choose the Right Synonym for weaken

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 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

Still, the divisions exposed by Wednesday’s vote could weaken the celebrated chief’s standing. —Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2024

Exposure to Environmental Conditions: Extreme temperature fluctuations and humidity can weaken seams and connections, causing duct leakage, and pests (such as rodents) can damage or bend ductwork. —Tyler Shepherd, USA TODAY, 2 Apr. 2024

Not least, the revisionists enjoy a perverse symbiosis by weakening the international order from several directions at once. —Hal Brands, Foreign Affairs, 29 Mar. 2024

Raising additional revenues from high-income earners should be a preferred policy approach that strengthens rather than weakens the program. —Christian Weller, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024

In a clip of his interview with Newsmax, Schlapp suggested that the Francis Scott Key Bridge’s infrastructure and transportation services were weakened by Covid lockdowns. —Kalhan Rosenblatt, NBC News, 27 Mar. 2024

But a later report from the Conference Board said confidence among U.S. consumers unexpectedly weakened. —Elaine Kurtenbach, Quartz, 27 Mar. 2024

And Lukashenko, in attempting to promote Belarus’ standing as a reliable ally of Russia, may have inadvertently further weakened Putin’s allegations. —Christian Edwards, CNN, 26 Mar. 2024

Ozone pollution, meanwhile, can stunt the growth of trees and weaken plants, per the report. —Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Mar. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1530, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Kids Definition

weaken

verb

weak·​en ˈwē-kən 

weakened; weakening ˈwēk-(ə-)niŋ 

: to make or become weak or weaker