devitalizing

verb

present participle of devitalize
1
as in undermining
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 weakening
to diminish the physical strength of she was devitalized by the infection

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for devitalizing
  1. undermining
  2. weakening
  3. draining
  4. softening
  5. exhausting
  6. wasting
  7. enervating
  8. deadening
Verb
  • Continuing to charge purchases, especially on the credit cards that are not enrolled in the plan, adds new interest at the same elevated rates while the original debt is still being resolved — undermining the entire point of the program.
    — Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 13 July 2026
  • Nigerian news groups had in March complained to President Bola Tinubu, alleging Alphabet, Meta, and X were among firms whose extraction of content from local publishers was undermining the press industry.
    — Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 10 July 2026
Definition of undermining
Verb
  • The Knesset also recently passed several bills connected with Netanyahu’s attempts to overhaul the judiciary, including increasing government control over broadcast media and weakening the role of the attorney general.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 July 2026
  • European commitment is weakening, with record Russian LNG purchases and growing pro-Russian political factions.
    — Wesley Alexander Hill, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
Definition of weakening
Verb
  • Fabricating a purely electromechanical robot at the millimeter scale requires intricate, heavy motors that consume significant power, typically draining tiny batteries within mere minutes of operation.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 18 July 2026
  • Roses require nutrient-rich, well-draining soil for healthy growth.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 16 July 2026
Definition of draining
Verb
  • This recipe doesn’t require much prep outside of softening the butter.
    — Heather Riske, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 July 2026
  • Check monthly for signs of shriveling (add moisture), blackening or softening (discard).
    — Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 11 July 2026
Definition of softening
Verb
  • But there were hero moments here too, the same refusal to lose, the same team-work, the same selfless effort in exhausting physical conditions.
    — Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 12 July 2026
  • The two young women at the center of the chamber piece that is Fruit Gathering face more challenges than hard work in a monotonous environment, including exhausting work, economic uncertainty and social repression.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 8 July 2026
Definition of exhausting
Verb
  • That the women who show such bravery in speaking out against powerful men are wasting their time because their trauma cannot compete with the power of sport, or the power that sport imparts on its protagonists.
    — Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 11 July 2026
  • In addition to following the strict Laws of the Game, keeping up with professional athletes and embracing their new technology, referees are also cracking down on time-wasting.
    — Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 11 July 2026
Definition of wasting
Verb
  • Campbell, the North Carolina folk singer, describes an enervating process marked by back-and-forth exchanges and lots of waiting.
    — Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 25 Mar. 2026
  • Jenny deflected me with enervating ease.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 Mar. 2026
Definition of enervating
Verb
  • Sam Lambert laid down a safety squeeze, deadening the ball in front of the plate and scoring Balls to trim the lead to 3-1.
    — Dave Montrose, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 May 2026
  • Another suggestion was requiring special sound-deadening balls, currently available, that lower the decibel levels considerably.
    — John Ramos, CBS News, 16 Mar. 2026
Definition of deadening
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.

Browse Nearby Words

devitalizes
devitalizing
devoid
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Cite this Entry

“Devitalizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devitalizing. Accessed 18 Jul. 2026.

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