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
Relevance
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debilitation
Noun
-
Han’s overarching argument is that the deterioration of our social fabric is due to ritual evaporating from everyday life.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
4 Mar. 2026 -
While virtually every major project targets South Beach, deterioration has begun in Normandy Isle, to the north.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
These were analyzing their own strengths and opponents’ weaknesses, forecasting what steps the opponents would take, and making a decision on what to do next.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Mar. 2026
-
For the luxury industry, the stakes extend well beyond the immediate disruption as missiles light up the skies over the region that many hoped would help offset offset weakness in China and deliver the sector’s next chapter of growth.—
Ritu Upadhyay,
Footwear News,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The state is seeing a weakening of its oil industry, and increasing challenges for its refineries to remain open due to environmental concerns, according to a Daily Breeze report on Monday, March 2.—
Pat Maio,
Oc Register,
3 Mar. 2026
-
But independent decisions the groups have made so far to stay clear of the conflict are a sign of the overall weakening of Iran’s network.—
Adam Geller,
Fortune,
2 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
My own experience with night pests was at a time of utter exhaustion— too much work undertaken, interlocking circumstances that made the work twice as arduous, illness within and around— the old story of troubles never coming singly.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Prolonged war and psychological exhaustion are already creating strain even among those united in their desire for regime change.—
Pegah Banihashemi,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
The shadow of death and debility haunted American women throughout the nineteenth century.—
Jenny Noyce,
JSTOR Daily,
28 June 2024
Noun
-
Your intensity works best when sustained by practical habits that reduce decision fatigue.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Nick Pivetta, the Padres’ presumptive opening-day starter, is being given extra rest between starts due to what is described as arm fatigue.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Mar. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Debilitation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debilitation. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
