as in demoralizing
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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
Andrew Ravens, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2025
Austen and Tate lived together in a small apartment until Austen’s arthritis proved too debilitating.
—Margaret Hetherman, NBC news, 19 Oct. 2025
Julia Moore, PEOPLE, 26 Dec. 2025
Cramped, about living with debilitating period pain, is funny, educational, and at times enraging.
—Benjamin Cannon, The Atlantic, 23 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for debilitating
Adjective
However, the illness has taken a more debilitating physical toll on the wrestling legend than the name implies.
—Andrew Ravens, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2025
Austen and Tate lived together in a small apartment until Austen’s arthritis proved too debilitating.
—Margaret Hetherman, NBC news, 19 Oct. 2025
Verb
Dustin revealed to his friend just how debilitating his grief has been.
—Julia Moore, PEOPLE, 26 Dec. 2025
Cramped, about living with debilitating period pain, is funny, educational, and at times enraging.
—Benjamin Cannon, The Atlantic, 23 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for debilitating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debilitating
Adjective
-
So, very demoralizing, devastating to lose anyone’s life, especially in that manner.—
Nick Friedell,
New York Times,
10 Jan. 2026
-
Winfrey shared the demoralizing experience in her 2017 cookbook, Food, Health, and Happiness.—
Avalon Hester,
PEOPLE,
31 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Milk, butter and cheese prices on the wholesale market and at grocery stores have decreased slightly due to oversupply and weakening consumer demand.—
Cheryl V. Jackson,
IndyStar,
9 Jan. 2026
-
This suggests consumers enter 2026 with continuing concerns over high prices and weakening labor market conditions.—
Phillip Molnar,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Long periods of socializing, like a weeklong conference, can feel far more draining than shorter events.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
28 Oct. 2025
-
By aligning strategic work with those rhythms, productivity can feel more natural and less draining.—
Matthew Kayser,
USA Today,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Each of the eight luxurious scents is packed with softening coconut oil and shea butter.—
Kaitlin Clapinski,
InStyle,
11 Jan. 2026
-
Fischer especially recommends making sound-softening updates in rooms with higher ceilings, open layouts, and hardwood flooring, all of which can amplify echo and reverb.—
Kristina McGuirk,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Grand Luna has an unprecedented high-frequency extension that goes as high as 30kHz, while remaining smooth, non-fatiguing, and eliminating harshness or sibilance thanks to Campfire’s acoustic engineering.—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Jovanny Hernandez followed stories of immigration throughout the year, including Judge Hannah Dugan’s obstruction charges and Yessenia Ruano’s decision to return to El Salvador after exhausting options in Milwaukee.—
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel,
jsonline.com,
26 Dec. 2025
-
Nancy went out to work in the fields and took a job in a school cafeteria, exhausting herself to hold on to the children.—
Alex Abramovich,
New Yorker,
22 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
Their status has been diminished by what has — charitably — been a really discouraging decade, featuring two separate relegations.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
New York Times,
9 Jan. 2026
-
High taxes squeeze margins and send a discouraging signal to firms.—
Andrew Rein,
New York Daily News,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Don’t bother wasting your money—using it more than once a day won’t yield ‘better’ or faster results.—
Ali Pantony,
Glamour,
9 Jan. 2026
-
People become paralyzed by choice and the risk of wasting time on something bad.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Debilitating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debilitating. Accessed 19 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
