debilitated 1 of 2

adjective

as in weak
lacking bodily strength the debilitated prisoners could barely stand

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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
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
  1. weak
  2. weakened
  3. feeble
  4. softened
  5. frail
  6. exhausted
  7. disabled
  8. tired
Adjective
  • Still, the opposite tack—sanctions and isolation—has neither made the Iranian regime weaker nor made its behavior better.
    — Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026
  • And it should never be used to paper over weak management, chronic overload, or unresolved conflict.
    — Rick Tollakson, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
Definition of weak
Verb
  • All three, the panel noted, have weakened or dropped earlier pledges to halt development on their own if certain red lines came into view, and in recent years softened their resistance to military uses.
    — Harry Booth, Time, 7 July 2026
  • It is weakened by surprises, side channels, performative challenge and unclear authority.
    — David Ribott, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
Definition of weakened
Adjective
  • 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
  • Gin up such a feeble procedural explanation for the sudden reversal that the entire sporting globe becomes incensed over the garbage-y scent of an inside job.
    — Sally Jenkins, The Atlantic, 6 July 2026
Definition of feeble
Verb
  • Clashes flared only to be tamped out; repercussions were softened, often comedically, as an outsider crashed the debate.
    — Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 9 July 2026
  • Add the onion, green pepper, and celery, and cook until softened, about 4 minutes.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 9 July 2026
Definition of softened
Adjective
  • In the past few years, her father, Gabriele, a seventy-seven-year-old doctor, has grown frail with age.
    — Gaia Alari, New Yorker, 9 July 2026
  • The law had said medically frail people include those who have substance use disorders, disabilities or serious medical conditions.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 29 June 2026
Definition of frail
Verb
  • Base editing was used for the first time in a 2022 clinical trial to modify the immune cells of a UK teenager after doctors exhausted all other options to treat her form of leukemia.
    — Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 8 July 2026
  • As a retired New Jersey State Trooper, Bob exhausted all of his law enforcement resources.
    — Edie Peffley, NBC news, 8 July 2026
Definition of exhausted
Adjective
  • Multiple disabled riders spoke with the panel and complained about inadequate warnings.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 7 July 2026
  • After surviving a career-ending stroke, the former officer founded The Wounded Blue, the nation's only nonprofit dedicated exclusively to injured and disabled law enforcement officers.
    — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 4 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

Browse Nearby Words

debilitate
debilitated
debilitates
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Debilitated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debilitated. Accessed 12 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on debilitated

Nglish: Translation of debilitated for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of fulcrum

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All