as in to weaken
to diminish the physical strength of
the heart surgery debilitated the college athlete beyond his worst fears
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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 debilitate
Max Goldbart, Deadline, 7 July 2025
The heat of an American summer, as the 32 teams involved in the Club World Cup have found, was debilitating.
—James Horncastle, New York Times, 30 June 2025
And, in the past month, truck drivers staged massive strikes to protest against abysmally low salaries and debilitating fuel hikes.
—Nuri Kino, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 June 2025
Campbell was nominated by Austin Palliative Care, which helps people who have debilitating chronic diseases.
—Nicole Villalpando, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for debilitate
Verb
The report also raises questions around Moth Winn’s CBD, a debilitating disorder that has an average life expectancy of 6-8 years according to neurologists The Observer spoke with.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 7 July 2025
The heat of an American summer, as the 32 teams involved in the Club World Cup have found, was debilitating.
—James Horncastle, New York Times, 30 June 2025
And, in the past month, truck drivers staged massive strikes to protest against abysmally low salaries and debilitating fuel hikes.
—Nuri Kino, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 June 2025
Campbell was nominated by Austin Palliative Care, which helps people who have debilitating chronic diseases.
—Nicole Villalpando, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for debilitate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debilitate
Verb
-
This weakens their ability to educate, create, and grow.—
Miguel Cardona,
Time,
21 July 2025
-
This could help verify recent findings from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) that suggest this strange force is actually weakening over time.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
20 July 2025
Noun
-
The art replaces a previous one that was located on Lake Street and removed in 2018 because of deterioration.—
Maya Wilkins,
Chicago Tribune,
9 July 2025
-
Perry confirmed the system’s deterioration at the council’s May 28 meeting.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
9 July 2025
Noun
-
Angela, a choir director and family history consultant for her local church, was first hospitalized on March 6 complaining of dizziness and weakness.—
Christine Pelisek,
People.com,
15 July 2025
-
The weakness could be due to the new 30% tariffs that President Donald Trump threatened against the European Union and Mexico over the weekend.—
Jeff Marks,
CNBC,
14 July 2025
Verb
-
On the campaign trail, the president spent time courting faith leaders throughout the country, often refusing to soften his language in those venues as well.—
Lalee Ibssa,
ABC News,
14 July 2025
-
By then, Trump had softened his tariff stance and the markets had rebounded accordingly.—
Kate Plummer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 July 2025
Noun
-
This matter of loss exhaustion brings me to the first caveat about fancified indexing.—
William Baldwin,
Forbes.com,
26 July 2025
-
For Baser, this past year has been a learning experience, a chance to reacquaint herself with her inner child in the midst of exhaustion.—
Sophie Williams,
Billboard,
25 July 2025
Noun
-
The shadow of death and debility haunted American women throughout the nineteenth century.—
Jenny Noyce,
JSTOR Daily,
28 June 2024
-
President Biden’s troubles — lingering inflation, wars and rumors of wars, his debility — could have benefited any Republican.—
David Harsanyi,
National Review,
25 Jan. 2024
Noun
-
There is excitement and motivation, but also fatigue, irritability and unexpected stress.—
Inga Bielińska,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
-
During this phase, people with migraines often develop symptoms that are characteristic and recognizable, like dizziness, fatigue, difficulty focusing, sensitivity to light (photophobia) and sound (phonophobia), neck pain and stiffness before the onset of actual head pain, Pavlovic explains.—
Elizabeth Yuko,
Flow Space,
14 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Debilitate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debilitate. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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