as in weakness
the quality or state of lacking physical strength or vigor
our grandmother's debility is due in large part to her advanced age
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Recent Examples of debility
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
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
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
As with fibroids, hormonal treatments and surgical options can help, though scarring and changes in the nervous system’s threshold for perceiving pain (eventually creating the experience of pain even in the absence of a stimulus) can create long-term debilities.
—Laura Kolbe, The New York Review of Books, 18 Jan. 2024
In Amy Schumer’s comedy special Emergency Contact, the comedian talks about developing hyperemesis gravidarum, a potentially life-threatening condition that causes extreme, persistent nausea and vomiting and might lead to malnutrition, dehydration, and debility.
—Brianna Holt, Vogue, 7 July 2023
Given their ages and debilities, these soldiers had been deemed unfit for active service.
—David Grann, The New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2023
The Covid-19 pandemic has driven widespread debility, whether a result of distress or the virus itself, compounded in either case by political abandonment and public health failures.
—Natalie Shure, The New Republic, 8 Dec. 2022
Justin Davidson, Vulture, 11 Mar. 2026
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
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
As with fibroids, hormonal treatments and surgical options can help, though scarring and changes in the nervous system’s threshold for perceiving pain (eventually creating the experience of pain even in the absence of a stimulus) can create long-term debilities.
—Laura Kolbe, The New York Review of Books, 18 Jan. 2024
In Amy Schumer’s comedy special Emergency Contact, the comedian talks about developing hyperemesis gravidarum, a potentially life-threatening condition that causes extreme, persistent nausea and vomiting and might lead to malnutrition, dehydration, and debility.
—Brianna Holt, Vogue, 7 July 2023
Given their ages and debilities, these soldiers had been deemed unfit for active service.
—David Grann, The New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2023
The Covid-19 pandemic has driven widespread debility, whether a result of distress or the virus itself, compounded in either case by political abandonment and public health failures.
—Natalie Shure, The New Republic, 8 Dec. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debility
Noun
-
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
-
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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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
-
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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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
Noun
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Signs of disease include warts on legs, crusty or swollen eyes, feebleness, a ruffled appearance, difficulty breathing, nasal discharge, and diarrhea.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
5 Mar. 2026
-
When hair endures damage from styling treatments, color, or heat, the hair’s keratin composition can be compromised, leading to feebleness and a greater risk of breakage.—
Sophie Wirt,
InStyle,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
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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
Cite this Entry
“Debility.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debility. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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