as in weak
lacking bodily strength
the debilitated prisoners could barely stand
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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
Verb
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
-
The slide appears to have involved a thick slab of soft snow breaking loose at a weak layer in the snowpack, the report said.—
Ethan Baron,
Mercury News,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Endowed not only with a privileged birthright but—unlike the actual princes over in England, who had weak chins and went bald young—the physical stature to match?—
Jeffrey Eugenides,
New Yorker,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
But, Scanlon noted, the budget was weakened by federal policy changes.—
Keith M. Phaneuf,
Hartford Courant,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Shipping and insurance costs, inflation and uncertainty are on the rise, and with currencies in developing countries now weakened, imports such as fuel and food are even more expensive for residents.—
Kevin Liptak,
CNN Money,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Congress has for the most part registered only feeble and ineffective opposition to such executive action.—
Sarah Burns,
The Conversation,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Scratches above the dead body reach upward, marks that read as feeble attempts to cling to some semblance of life.—
Anel Rakhimzhanova,
Artforum,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Metcalfe also pointed to South Korea and Thailand as examples of markets where consumption has softened, but said this was reflective of temporary adjustments rather than structural declines.—
Chloe Taylor,
CNBC,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Add the jalapeño and stir-fry until slightly softened, another 15 to 20 seconds.—
Kelly McCarthy,
ABC News,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Physically frail, yet in full verbal command, Julian doesn’t talk to Lori so much as at her, pausing only to fire off questions that harden, in midair, into assumptions.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Meyerson had become frail and disoriented by the spring of 2019.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Meanwhile, the man captaining the boat that gets her into the Amazon is possessed by thoughts of a lost love, a story even a head-in-her-hands Tereza is exhausted by.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
3 Apr. 2026
-
And what if the low-hanging fruit is exhausted and settlements become harder to come by?—
Adam Summers,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Shaw said the East Bay Paratransit program, which is responsible for assisting disabled residents within three-quarters of a mile from transit routes, receives 69% of its operational budget from AC Transit and 31% from BART.—
Chase Hunter,
Mercury News,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Medicaid is the joint state and federal program that covers low-income and disabled adults.—
Katheryn Houghton,
NPR,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
Many blue-city residents who have noticed a decrease in crime surely appreciate the safer streets, an environment that tired old No Kings boomers will never have to navigate.—
Newsweek Contributors,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Debilitated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debilitated. Accessed 9 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
