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
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 debilitate
Mike Hixenbaugh, NBC news, 12 May 2025
Gout is an inflammatory disorder in which the accumulation of uric acid crystals around a joint causes acute and often debilitating pain, mainly in the big toe.
—Catherine Moyer, Verywell Health, 22 May 2025
She was discharged the same day, and experienced debilitating fatigue that persisted acutely for months, forcing her to cancel a tour.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 22 May 2025
Changing his diet to avoid emulsifiers has made a shocking difference, easing symptoms that were debilitating, Rands said.
—David Hilzenrath, Miami Herald, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for debilitate
Verb
The debilitating panic attacks and sleepless nights searching Campbell’s name online.
—Mike Hixenbaugh, NBC news, 12 May 2025
Gout is an inflammatory disorder in which the accumulation of uric acid crystals around a joint causes acute and often debilitating pain, mainly in the big toe.
—Catherine Moyer, Verywell Health, 22 May 2025
She was discharged the same day, and experienced debilitating fatigue that persisted acutely for months, forcing her to cancel a tour.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 22 May 2025
Changing his diet to avoid emulsifiers has made a shocking difference, easing symptoms that were debilitating, Rands said.
—David Hilzenrath, Miami Herald, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for debilitate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debilitate
Verb
-
Bias, inaccuracies and missing values can all weaken model reliability.—
Tor Constantino,
Forbes.com,
3 June 2025
-
Coercing democratic allies such as Canada or Denmark more broadly weakens trust in U.S. alliances; threatening Panama reawakens fears of imperialism throughout Latin America; crippling the U.S. Agency for International Development undercuts the United States’ reputation for benevolence.—
Robert O. Keohane,
Foreign Affairs,
2 June 2025
Noun
-
They are then transported to the Berkhamsted conservation center, where their condition is examined for deterioration.—
Benny Har-Even,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2025
-
Nationwide, the ramifications of deportation for these key citizens will affect all of us, which can lead to deterioration of our healthcare system, hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, home health aides, etc.—
Rachel Blumberg,
Sun Sentinel,
3 June 2025
Noun
-
And the weakness is extending to other travel industry forecasts, like hotels.—
Danielle Chemtob,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
-
Potential symptoms include insomnia, muscle cramps, constipation, nausea and vomiting, fatigue, weakness, numbness, tingling, personality changes and heart arrhythmias, experts say.—
Amy McGorry,
FOXNews.com,
9 June 2025
Verb
-
The experience of caring for another living creature has been found to soften inmates’ anger, allowing some to experience warmth and affection for the first time in their lives.—
John Blake,
CNN Money,
8 June 2025
-
In European competition, Postecoglou softened his principles and played functional football.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
7 June 2025
Noun
-
With ubiquity came a degree of creative exhaustion.—
Christopher Bonanos,
Curbed,
6 June 2025
-
Their temporary electronic face tattoo, or e-tattoo, can read brain waves and not only detect when the ol' gray matter is overworked, but also predict when exhaustion is approaching.—
Paul McClure
May 29,
New Atlas,
29 May 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
-
One showed camouflage fatigues worn by a Colombian fighter festooned with patches that include the flag of Ukraine.—
Kate Linthicum,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2025
-
But the latest findings indicate that, while Trump still commands deep loyalty among a significant portion of the GOP base, his branding power may be reaching its ceiling—or even entering a phase of fatigue or redefinition.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Debilitate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debilitate. Accessed 15 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share