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
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
That’s because the fees the affiliate pays go into its parent’s coffers, whereas identical fees charged to third-party participants could be debilitating. — Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 8 Oct. 2026 Manganiello detailed debilitating abdominal pain, fevers, rashes, headaches, fatigue and ulcers in his digestive tract that caused bleeding and led to countless colonoscopies. — Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 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
  • To be ensconced within a reading cohort is bliss, and falling off the cart can be demoralizing.
    — Nathan Heller, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
  • That can sound empowering or demoralizing, depending on your perception of AI and ability to master it.
    — Diane Brady, Fortune, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of demoralizing
Verb
  • OpenAI disclosed a pair of safety incidents that involved AI agents weakening their safety monitoring systems during internal coding tasks.
    — Emma Roth, The Verge, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Meanwhile, weakening brand loyalty threatens an advantage established manufacturers have relied on for decades.
    — Matthew Tan, CNBC, 21 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
  • Medik8 Advanced Night Ceramide is a rich overnight cream that helps replenish dry skin while softening the look of crepiness, fine lines, and rough texture.
    — Christa Joanna Lee, Glamour, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Scientists at the Beckman Institute have been tracking levels of plastic-softening phthalates in the blood of children since before they were born up until age 11.
    — Michael Hawthorne, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 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
  • So, get ready for mountain vistas and exhausting cycling days to take your breath away and questions about your life choices to swirl around in your head!
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 17 Oct. 2026
  • On the third bike was Jenny Brookes, Zero's senior global brand manager, who rode a standard DSR/X adventure bike for approximately 239 miles (384 km) before exhausting its battery.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of exhausting
Adjective
  • The charges were filed less than two weeks before the midterm election, breaking with longstanding DOJ guidance discouraging actions that could affect upcoming political races.
    — Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Conventional wisdom suggests such discouraging numbers would depress turnout.
    — Christopher Miller, The Conversation, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of discouraging
Verb
  • The challenge is integrating these capabilities into a defense that can quickly identify threats, select an appropriate response, and avoid wasting expensive interceptors on inexpensive drones.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 25 Oct. 2026
  • The city of Milwaukee waited 46 years to see its team in the Fall Classic, and this year's Brewers wanted to stop wasting time.
    — Ryan Morik OutKick, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 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 26 Oct. 2026.

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