devitalize

verb

(ˌ)dē-ˈvī-tə-ˌlīz How to pronounce devitalize (audio)
Definition of devitalizenext
1
as in to undermine
to deprive of emotional or intellectual vitality overuse has devitalized many a once-striking figure of speech

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to weaken
to diminish the physical strength of she was devitalized by the infection

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 devitalize This can devitalize the plant to the point of it starting to die back. — oregonlive, 5 Feb. 2023 Miller’s writing début may have been precipitated by her assault, but the final work devitalizes its horrific beginnings. — Doreen St. Félix, The New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devitalize
  1. undermine
  2. weaken
  3. drain
  4. soften
  5. exhaust
  6. waste
  7. petrify
  8. enervate
Verb
  • The Colorado Department of Transportation also reported substantial flood damage to highways in the region, with sections of roadway undermined by floodwaters.
    — Brian Maass, CBS News, 3 Nov. 2026
  • The European Union fined Poland for undermining the rule of law.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of undermine
Verb
  • An evening spent practicing, creating, or enjoying your own company can strengthen your life outside the group without weakening the friendship.
    — Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Nov. 2026
  • The grid, however, was already weakened given a lack of maintenance and investment.
    — Dánica Coto, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of weaken
Verb
  • The brain wound was cleaned and drained before surgeons patched up his skull.
    — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Crews started excavating the site Wednesday, once utility workers had drained water and cleared other hazards, the National Transportation Safety Board said Thursday.
    — Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of drain
Verb
  • And the activists’ friends become concerned, urging them to soften the rhetoric.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 7 Nov. 2026
  • As Walter, Carman Lacivita has to be a pompous jerk for a lot of this play then must soften for scenes of genuine compassion and personal growth.
    — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of soften
Verb
  • This heats the air dramatically, expanding it and exhausting the hot gas at a much higher velocity than normal.
    — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 1 Nov. 2026
  • That message resonated with Israelis exhausted by years of war, among them Hila Asayag, 49, whose son has served in Gaza and Lebanon.
    — Lior Soroka, Washington Post, 31 Oct. 2026
Definition of exhaust
Verb
  • Every delay makes recovery harder and risks wasting the public investment already made.
    — Carole LaBonne, Washington Post, 8 Nov. 2026
  • The Jets blew a nine-point halftime lead and wasted a 33-point afternoon against a Raiders team that had lost four straight.
    — Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of waste
Verb
  • The characters are petrified like specimens, expressing and embodying only what fits into the film’s design, with no potential for inconvenient loose ends for viewers to follow outside the frame’s borders.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Here, a source of primordial terror—the gaze that petrifies—is deflected by way of the highly polished shield that Perseus wields against the creature.
    — Jan Tumlir, Artforum, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of petrify
Verb
  • Every frite was pert, not a single one enervated under a mountain of hot fries.
    — Hana Asbrink, Bon Appetit Magazine, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Such flat, enervating filmmaking makes the whole endeavor a shockingly cynical affair.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of enervate

Browse Nearby Words

devising
devitalize
devitalized
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Cite this Entry

“Devitalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devitalize. Accessed 10 Nov. 2026.

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