debilitating 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of debilitatingnext
as in demoralizing

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Dissimilar Words

debilitating

2 of 2

verb

present participle of debilitate
as in weakening
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 debilitating
Adjective
My symptoms are legion, but among the most debilitating is joint subluxation, or partial dislocation. — Lydia Cruz, Denver Post, 22 May 2026 Whooping cough was often deadly for babies and toddlers but among the less debilitating of childhood diseases past for older children, thus the freedom to play while coughing. — Fran Moreland Johns, The Atlantic, 11 May 2026
Verb
Long-term, debilitating nerve pain, called postherpetic neuralgia, is the most common complication of shingles because the varicella-zoster virus hides in the peripheral nervous system. — Lindsey Leake, NBC news, 28 June 2026 Many of the hunters witnessed their acquaintances navigating those challenges and struggling with sometimes debilitating symptoms. — Bram Sable-Smith, NPR, 27 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for debilitating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debilitating
  1. demoralizing
  2. weakening
  3. draining
  4. softening
  5. fatiguing
  6. exhausting
  7. discouraging
  8. wasting
Adjective
  • The Lions would go on to suffer a demoralizing 4-1 loss to Germany that same year in a round of 16 match staged at an altitude of 4,600 feet.
    — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 2 July 2026
  • The early goal from Germany was a bit demoralizing for the South American team, but Nilson Angulo was able to shake it off with a beautiful shot in the ninth minute to equalize.
    — Andrew Greif, NBC news, 26 June 2026
Definition of demoralizing
Verb
  • The German lender notes a growing divergence between the nation's weakening fiscal position and its thriving corporate balance sheets.
    — Joseph Wilkins, CNBC, 9 July 2026
  • The effect results in the typical east-to-west trade winds weakening or even sometimes reversing, allowing warmer water from the western Pacific to move eastward.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
Definition of weakening
Adjective
  • Others are voluntarily asking to see more patients because the most draining and time-consuming parts of their job are now handled by AI.
    — FJ Campbell, Fortune, 20 May 2026
  • Already carrying wider spans of control and shrinking development support, a manager operating against an outdated role definition is doing something more draining than managing a heavy workload.
    — Vibhas Ratanjee, Forbes.com, 19 May 2026
Definition of draining
Verb
  • The ingredient list includes avocado, which is rich in fats and helps boost flexibility—thereby helping to prevent breakage—as well as sweet almond oil and shea butter for moisturizing and softening.
    — Eden Stuart, Glamour, 7 July 2026
  • In addition to softening and romanticizing looks, these bottoms are extremely comfortable.
    — Irene Richardson, InStyle, 4 July 2026
Definition of softening
Adjective
  • But the most mentally fatiguing aspect, the work found, was having to constantly supervise the AI tools, with some employees overseeing multiple AI agents performing different tasks at the same time.
    — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 12 Mar. 2026
  • My friend was in course of opening up his country house unassisted, and after a fatiguing day discovered that the only practical bed was a child’s affair— long enough but scarcely wider than a crib.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Mar. 2026
Definition of fatiguing
Verb
  • The two young women at the center of the chamber piece that is Fruit Gathering face more challenges than hard work in a monotonous environment, including exhausting work, economic uncertainty and social repression.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 8 July 2026
  • This convergence is a very encouraging sign, providing the first footprint of a structural trend change and indicating that the selling pressure from the recent rug pull is finally exhausting itself.
    — Nishant Pant, CNBC, 7 July 2026
Definition of exhausting
Adjective
  • Tracy provided another discouraging injury update over the weekend in Anaheim as well, telling reporters that first baseman Triston Casas suffered yet another setback and has been shut down from hitting due to a wrist issue.
    — Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 7 July 2026
  • Still, this was a discouraging result for anyone wearing yellow in Kansas City.
    — Kellis Robinett, Kansas City Star, 21 June 2026
Definition of discouraging
Verb
  • Once again, no one is here for the play-acting, the time-wasting, the cheating.
    — Stuart James, New York Times, 5 July 2026
  • Rather than simply reducing power use across the board, the system attempts to identify exactly when machinery is wasting energy and proposes operational changes that can reduce consumption without disrupting productivity.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 4 July 2026
Definition of wasting

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Cite this Entry

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

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Nglish: Translation of debilitating for Spanish Speakers

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