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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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
  • But supporters also warned that a Congress increasingly dominated by the far right and the agribusiness caucus could undermine those efforts to protect the forest and combat climate change.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The senator challenged Supreme Federal Court Justice Cristiano Zanin’s decision to extend voting by two hours, arguing that the uneven application of the measure had undermined equal voting conditions.
    — Alessandra Freitas, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of undermine
Verb
  • The regime remains capable of suppressing any organized resistance in the country, but the growing disaffection of the elite threatens to weaken the state from within.
    — Jieun Baek, Foreign Affairs, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Eisenkot's allies could also try to reverse legislation advanced by Netanyahu's government that critics say weakened Israel's democratic institutions and judicial independence.
    — Itay Stern, NPR, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of weaken
Verb
  • Some alluvial and floodplain soils can drain well and appear quite dry, yet still meet Connecticut’s definition of an inland wetland.
    — Dr. Avishesh Neupane, Hartford Courant, 1 Nov. 2026
  • Fuel that smells sour, appears darker than usual, or shows signs of separation should be drained from the lawn mower and disposed of properly, instead of combined with new fuel.
    — Timothy Dale, The Spruce, 31 Oct. 2026
Definition of drain
Verb
  • Unlike a traditional body lotion, the moisturizer’s lightweight, milky texture softens skin, smooths rough patches, and relieves dryness sans the greasy film.
    — Madison San Miguel, Allure, 30 Oct. 2026
  • The reality is that this effect was a deliberate design choice to soften the edges of the villa and smooth out its different volumes.
    — Francesca Longoni, Architectural Digest, 30 Oct. 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
  • In Southern California and across the country, Halloween costume swaps and thrift stores are keeping costumes from going to waste.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026
  • The city of Milwaukee waited 46 years to see its team in the Fall Classic, and this year's Brewers wanted to stop wasting time.
    — Ryan Morik OutKick, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 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
  • Such flat, enervating filmmaking makes the whole endeavor a shockingly cynical affair.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Its students arrive morally outraged, a priori puritans, while its professors are enervated and dissatisfied.
    — Zain Khalid, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of enervate

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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 4 Nov. 2026.

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