1
as in deterioration
a gradual sinking and wasting away of mind or body
the debilitation that all the prisoners of war had experienced during their captivity
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in weakness
the quality or state of lacking physical strength or vigor
attributed the patient's general debilitation to an iron deficiency
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debilitation
Noun
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By diplomatic standards, the deterioration has been abrupt.—
Andreas Kluth,
Mercury News,
14 Aug. 2025 -
Other economists — such as those at Goldman Sachs Group Inc., Citigroup Inc. and UBS Group AG — interpreted the rapid deterioration in hiring more as a sign of weak labor demand, which would push the Fed to commence with rate reductions at its next policy meeting in September.—
Ashley Lutz,
Fortune,
9 Aug. 2025
Noun
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At the same time, the labor market has shown growing signs of weakness.—
Bryan Mena,
CNN Money,
21 Aug. 2025
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Until recently, in fact, many people considered empathy in a leader to be a weakness rather than a strength.—
Toby Lester,
Harvard Business Review,
20 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Overworking can actually lead to diminishing returns, where exhaustion causes mistakes and reduces efficiency.—
Kent Ingle,
Forbes.com,
18 Aug. 2025
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Working too many hours can also contribute to burnout, a state of physical, emotional and mental exhaustion caused by long-term work stress.—
Louis Tay,
The Conversation,
15 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The shadow of death and debility haunted American women throughout the nineteenth century.—
Jenny Noyce,
JSTOR Daily,
28 June 2024
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President Biden’s troubles — lingering inflation, wars and rumors of wars, his debility — could have benefited any Republican.—
David Harsanyi,
National Review,
25 Jan. 2024
Noun
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Side effects included extreme fatigue, nausea, mouth sores, and hair loss. Amber, who had always worn her blonde hair long, cut off 12 inches to prepare.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Aug. 2025
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Chronic fatigue, insomnia, burnout, and sleep medication dependency have become so common that they’re often dismissed as the cost of ambition.—
Rabbi Bruce D. Forman,
Sun Sentinel,
21 Aug. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Debilitation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debilitation. Accessed 27 Aug. 2025.
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