debilitating 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of debilitatingnext
as in demoralizing

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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
Such a statistic often provokes a familiar gamut of responses from those who read it, from shock, disgust and anger to a debilitating sense of helplessness. — Megan Feringa, New York Times, 3 June 2026 My symptoms are legion, but among the most debilitating is joint subluxation, or partial dislocation. — Lydia Cruz, Denver Post, 22 May 2026
Verb
His defense attorney sought to reduce his $2 million bond, citing a recent debilitating disease diagnosis. — Amy McDaniel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 July 2026 Schumer’s swimsuit photo comes seven years after the mom of one experienced a challenging pregnancy complicated by debilitating nausea endometriosis, as documented in Expecting Amy. — Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 11 July 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 New York Mets’ big spending has backfired even more this season, though the club’s long-term picture isn’t quite as demoralizing as San Francisco’s.
    — Tim Britton, New York Times, 27 July 2026
  • 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
Definition of demoralizing
Verb
  • Israelis across political and religious lines are worried about the weakening connection with younger Jewish Americans — who, according to a recent AP poll, tend to consider support for Israel less crucial to their Jewish identity than older adults.
    — Giovanna Dell'Orto, Fortune, 31 July 2026
  • Today, some civil-society leaders, and even figures inside the establishment itself, fret that the regime’s heavy domestic hand is not only hurting Iranians but also weakening the country’s war effort.
    — Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026
Definition of weakening
Adjective
  • 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
  • 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
Definition of draining
Verb
  • Lander did not feel the need to appease the Zionist mob by softening his rhetoric.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 July 2026
  • The singer styled a floral tank top from Chloé with black stovepipe jeans, softening the dark wash with a touch of flower power.
    — Kristina Rutkowski, Vogue, 20 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
  • This strategic move follows growing concerns over rapidly escalating enterprise AI budgets, with companies like Uber and Microsoft quickly exhausting their allocations.
    — Rachel Wells, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
  • After graduating with a degree in business economics, Pichardo learned that NCAA athletes can compete in a different sport after exhausting their initial four years of eligibility.
    — Marisa Ingemi, Mercury News, 27 July 2026
Definition of exhausting
Adjective
  • Despite the discouraging landscape, recruiters and career experts say there are still ways for recent graduates to stand out.
    — Alyshia Hull, USA Today, 28 July 2026
  • Abigail Simon-Hart is all too familiar with these discouraging trends.
    — Durrie Bouscaren, NPR, 25 July 2026
Definition of discouraging
Verb
  • Ahead of the hearing, Fishback started speaking to his followers in the room, saying in part that Collins was wasting taxpayer money on the case.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 21 July 2026
  • Without clear governance, agents roam aimlessly through data warehouses looking for credible information, then check the results after the fact — wasting time and tokens, and generating inconsistent actions.
    — Sumeet Agrawal, Fortune, 20 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 2 Aug. 2026.

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