debilitating 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of debilitatingnext
as in demoralizing

Related Words

Relevance

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
In today's economy, overspending, poor management and an investment that doesn't work out can be financially debilitating. — Matt Richardson, CBS News, 10 Aug. 2026 But any movement that engages her core muscles — bending, turning, stretching — is painful and debilitating. — Daniela Suarez, NBC news, 31 July 2026
Verb
Much of that energy came from Mullen’s return after a debilitating neck injury. — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 24 Sep. 2026 Fetterman dominated the primary and, despite having suffered a debilitating stroke, went on to beat the Republican Mehmet Oz by a comfortable five points. — Isaac Arnsdorf, New Yorker, 18 Sep. 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
  • Zibanejad was a deserving team MVP in an otherwise demoralizing 2025-26 campaign, posting his highest totals in three years for goals (34) and points (78).
    — Vincent Z. Mercogliano, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Suddenly, in this most demoralizing scenario, USC is out of the Playoff picture at the halfway point of the season.
    — Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of demoralizing
Verb
  • While critics claim the court cases are politically motivated and aimed at weakening the opposition, the government insists the country’s judiciary is independent and free from political influence.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Those tasks had often depended on personal relationships rather than formal job requirements, and the researchers found those ties were weakening.
    — Bilin Lin, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of weakening
Adjective
  • This is a good time to organize the list, clarify expectations, or make a routine feel less draining.
    — Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Speaking of the part of van life spent behind the wheel, Volkswagen has slightly reworked the Grand California's driver-assistance suite to make driving a little less draining.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 10 July 2026
Definition of draining
Verb
  • Even as Democrats target his Virginia district to capitalize on a favorable 2026 environment, McGuire is doing the opposite of Republicans in some competitive races, who are softening their ties to Trump.
    — Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 30 Sep. 2026
  • This all lends itself to a softening market for fashion and apparel — even the most loyal customers are pulling back.
    — Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of softening
Adjective
  • Most other feeders can send dozens, if not hundreds, of clips to your phone each day, which can be more fatiguing than relaxing to go through.
    — Jim Fisher, PC Magazine, 27 Sep. 2026
  • 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
Definition of fatiguing
Verb
  • The gentle squeeze around your legs provides other surprising health benefits on exhausting travel days.
    — Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 27 Sep. 2026
  • Commanders should seek positional advantages without exhausting their soldiers, manipulate the enemy’s movements when possible, and recognize when circumstances make pursuit or attack unwise.
    — Ethan Teekah, Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of exhausting
Adjective
  • His fellow scientists are neither comforting nor discouraging.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Then a rough 2025, a crowded rotation in 2026 and a discouraging bullpen stint led Pfaadt back to Reno.
    — Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of discouraging
Verb
  • The truth of the matter is, both of these fanbases are wasting their breath.
    — Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • This is a crucial insight to have before wasting time and money.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of wasting

Browse Nearby Words

debilitates
debilitating
debilitation
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Debilitating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debilitating. Accessed 8 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of etiquette

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
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
name tags
Words Named After People Quiz Find out who’s behind "leotard," "morphine," an...
See All