1
as in deterioration
a gradual sinking and wasting away of mind or body
the debilitation that all the prisoners of war had experienced during their captivity
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in weakness
the quality or state of lacking physical strength or vigor
attributed the patient's general debilitation to an iron deficiency
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of debilitation
Those citing such ominous scenarios envisioned other possible dangers, including the debilitation of America’s security guarantees to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf oil exporters.
—
Paul Blustein, Fortune, 30 Mar. 2026
Paul Blustein, Fortune, 30 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debilitation
Noun
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Built in 1948, the bridge is not as old as others in the city, but the concrete is in bad condition as a result of years of deterioration and weather, said Keith Echternach, DPW program manager of Bridge Design.—
Alysa Guffey,
IndyStar,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Years of economic deterioration have tipped into something more acute.—
Thomas E. Franklin,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Years of the petrodollar’s weakening grasp The petrodollar’s weakness has been quietly exposed for even years prior to Saudi Arabia’s currency swap with China.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
7 Apr. 2026
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Reinsdorf also emphasized the importance of both internal and external communication for a new hire, a notable weakness of the Karnišovas administration.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Other human rights groups warn of a weakening of legal protections.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
29 Mar. 2026
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Higher energy prices are also expected to widen India’s current account deficit, which has contributed to a weakening of the local currency, with the rupee touching record lows in recent days.—
Priyanka Salve,
CNBC,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
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But if span-of-control inflation is so severe that managers can’t do the expert part of their job either, the model risks producing neither efficiency nor mentorship, just exhaustion.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
7 Apr. 2026
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Little matchsticks lie flat on its surface, and then suddenly pop up and jitter across its surface, only to fall again, in seeming exhaustion.—
Shanti Escalante-De Mattei,
ARTnews.com,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
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His trajectory is one of softening, from the swaggering knight of the opening to the irrepressible lover of the second act to his final physical debility.—
Justin Davidson,
Vulture,
11 Mar. 2026
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In Will There Ever Be Another You, the main character struggles with an illness similar to long COVID, descending into a state of debility and psychosis as readers experience the chaos of her unraveling life.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
26 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Eating either too many or not enough calories can contribute to fatigue, injuries, illness, poor performance and prolonged recovery from sports injuries.—
Dr. Sarah Kinsella,
Boston Herald,
5 Apr. 2026
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He was removed with what was called right arm fatigue.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
4 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Debilitation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debilitation. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
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