DEBILITATED Synonyms: 118 Similar and Opposite Words

debilitated 1 of 2

adjective

as in weak

lacking bodily strength the debilitated prisoners could barely stand

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debilitated

2 of 2

verb

past tense of debilitate

as in weakened

to diminish the physical strength of the heart surgery debilitated the college athlete beyond his worst fears

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of debilitated

Verb

In Desert Storm, the short duration of ground operations was made possible by an air campaign that debilitated Iraq’s entire military establishment. — David A. Deptula, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026 Destruction of their livelihoods and more — they are debilitated. — Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Oc Register, 4 May 2026 Israel quickly debilitated Iran’s air defenses and caused significant damage to Iran’s military and nuclear infrastructure. — Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 31 Mar. 2026 The war, the latest and most extensive Israel offensive in the Gaza Strip, has greatly debilitated Hamas. — Foreign Correspondent, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2026 Amid an unprecedented cold snap in the Upper Florida Keys, six juvenile green sea turtles were discovered debilitated by frigid waters and are now undergoing intensive care at the Turtle Hospital in Marathon. — Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 4 Feb. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for debilitated

Adjective

Even durable bouclé material won’t save a sofa built on a weak foundation.

— Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 22 July 2026
Further, the hinge mechanism provides a bit more assistance, and the magnets are a bit weaker, reducing the force needed to open the phone by half.

— Eric Zeman, PC Magazine, 22 July 2026

Definition of weak

Verb

Researchers, educators, and policymakers questioned whether broadcasting encouraged juvenile delinquency, weakened family relationships, and gave governments and media organizations unprecedented influence over public opinion.

— Michael Edmondson, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
Hochul, who weakened the state’s climate goals and signed off on new gas pipelines, is again an example.

— Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 21 July 2026

Definition of weakened

Adjective

Using Neanderthal cranium shapes to estimate specific brain regions’ volume, some investigators claimed to see signs of a mind with feeble linguistic abilities, poor executive function and an unremarkable memory.

— Cody Cottier, Scientific American, 20 July 2026
Lei's team propose that this glitch either strengthened or reoriented, or both, the magnetic field of the Blue Eye Pulsar sufficiently to trigger radio emissions, or at least make feeble radio waves that were already there detectable.

— Keith Cooper, Space.com, 6 July 2026

Definition of feeble

Verb

Both Siard and Briceno say that a pencil that feels a little too sharp can be softened a bit on the back of your hand.

— Marci Robin, Allure, 24 July 2026
While the Phillies’ winning has softened the criticism surrounding the decision, the owner’s comments illustrate that replacing Thomson was never viewed as an easy or enjoyable choice — even if the results on the field have since justified the move.

— Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026

Definition of softened

Verb

Consider what happened in April when Oklahoma Sooners linebacker Owen Heinecke, whom the NCAA deemed had exhausted his eligibility, obtained a court injunction to play this fall.

— Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 22 July 2026
The shattered standing forlornly by the podium at the end of a draining tournament, hearts broken, bodies exhausted, having to watch as the opposition receive the reward that England were agonisingly close to.

— Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 19 July 2026

Definition of exhausted

Adjective

Too many products slap the label on without including disabled people anywhere in development or testing, treating accessibility as an add-on rather than a design requirement.

— Keely Cat-Wells, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
When scientists temporarily disabled mole-rats’ olfactory sensory neurons with chemicals, the aggression towards strangers disappeared.

— Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 21 July 2026

Definition of disabled

Verb

Fellow striker Ricardo Pepi tired out the Australian back line all day.

— Alex Kirshner, New York Times, 20 June 2026
Plus, their fabric and fill are less likely to accrue that ever-darkening yellowish stain that tired goose down pillows acquire over time, thanks to sweat, oils, lotion residues, etc.

— Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 24 Oct. 2025

Definition of tired

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“Debilitated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debilitated. Accessed 26 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of debilitated

adjective

verb

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