1
as in to undermine
to deprive of emotional or intellectual vitality
a lifetime of working in dreary jobs had enervated his very soul
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to weaken
to diminish the physical strength of
the surgery really enervated me for weeks afterwards
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in feeble
Related Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of enervate
Cameron Hilditch, National Review, 28 Feb. 2021
The saving grace of this often enervating thriller is that Doscher grants time for his actors to build character and intimacy, and both Pinto and Odom offer warm, affectingly natural performances as two people facing the end of their world.
—Teo Bugbee, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2020
To a great extent, that reflects the endless, enervating nature of the Brexit debate.
—Mark Landler, New York Times, 31 Jan. 2020
Jack’s enervating recovery in The Way Back is full of drab, predictable pathos instead of the stylized drama in Dawn of Justice.
—Armond White, National Review, 6 Mar. 2020
Perhaps the most intimate of these photographs presents her after a shower, wet and enervated, rubbing a cloth across her reflection in a mirror, as though the condensation were crud.
—Eren Orbey, The New Yorker, 6 Feb. 2020
Then again, enervating her supporters has been Madonna’s M.O. in recent years.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 3 July 2019
But the art which resists the slow sap of a chronic disease—which repairs frames enervated by lust, swollen by gluttony, or inflamed by wine . .
—Chris Pope, WSJ, 17 Mar. 2019
Such behavior is particularly enervating when the West aims to bring new countries into permanent and universal—that is, Western-style—guarantees of security and systems of relations.
—I. William Zartman, WSJ, 24 June 2018
Adjective
This relationship, when successful, tends to enervate mediating institutions that thwart the immediate desires of both the populist leader and the public.
—Cameron Hilditch, National Review, 28 Feb. 2021
The saving grace of this often enervating thriller is that Doscher grants time for his actors to build character and intimacy, and both Pinto and Odom offer warm, affectingly natural performances as two people facing the end of their world.
—Teo Bugbee, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2020
To a great extent, that reflects the endless, enervating nature of the Brexit debate.
—Mark Landler, New York Times, 31 Jan. 2020
Jack’s enervating recovery in The Way Back is full of drab, predictable pathos instead of the stylized drama in Dawn of Justice.
—Armond White, National Review, 6 Mar. 2020
Perhaps the most intimate of these photographs presents her after a shower, wet and enervated, rubbing a cloth across her reflection in a mirror, as though the condensation were crud.
—Eren Orbey, The New Yorker, 6 Feb. 2020
Then again, enervating her supporters has been Madonna’s M.O. in recent years.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 3 July 2019
But the art which resists the slow sap of a chronic disease—which repairs frames enervated by lust, swollen by gluttony, or inflamed by wine . .
—Chris Pope, WSJ, 17 Mar. 2019
Such behavior is particularly enervating when the West aims to bring new countries into permanent and universal—that is, Western-style—guarantees of security and systems of relations.
—I. William Zartman, WSJ, 24 June 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for enervate
Verb
-
Your bombastic attacks on the free press are, at best, unflattering — and at worst, undermine a core tenet of democracy.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 June 2025
-
Trump is undermining our economy with reckless tariffs, harsh cuts, and ICE agents terrorizing our communities.—
Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 June 2025
Verb
-
The first-quarter boom in U.S. trade is weakening, with merchandise trade somewhat atypically declining for the second straight month, according to my analysis of the the most recent U.S. Census Bureau data.—
Ken Roberts,
Forbes.com,
9 July 2025
-
The June jobs report showed strong headline numbers, but the underlying data pointed to a weakening labor market.—
Danny Bakst,
Fortune,
9 July 2025
Adjective
-
Leon Goretzka intercepted a feeble Pulgar clearance about 25 yards from goal and rather than close out to him, three Flamengo players decided to block off the corner of the net to the left of goalkeeper Agustin Rossi.—
Liam Twomey,
New York Times,
29 June 2025
-
First appearing in Street Fighter Alpha in 1995, Hibiki is consistently portrayed as an overconfident, arrogant and utterly feeble character.—
Justin Kroll,
Deadline,
26 June 2025
Verb
-
Unlike many other raptors that rely on sudden ambush attacks, the gyrfalcon excels at long chases across tundra and icy terrain, often locking onto prey and keeping pursuit until the target is exhausted.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
29 June 2025
-
Frankly, Angelina is exhausted, but she is relieved this one part is over.—
Emily Trainham,
FOXNews.com,
24 June 2025
Verb
-
Take deep breaths throughout the day to soften your pelvic floor muscles.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
30 June 2025
-
But after the strikes, Kirk appeared to soften, reposting a clip of Vice President JD Vance praising the pilots involved.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 June 2025
Verb
-
The Army Corps’ solution was to take a meandering 103-mile river that snaked through one of the wildest areas in the state, drain it, and carve it into a ruler-straight, 56-mile 30-foot-deep canal dubbed the C-38 — not exactly fodder for the tourism board.—
Bill Kearney,
Sun Sentinel,
29 June 2025
-
In such situations, when a client has the resources and the inclination to go round after round, small municipalities have to decide whether to settle or stand on principle, draining their budget.—
Andrew Rice,
Curbed,
26 June 2025
Verb
-
The Finnish midfielder deadened the ball with a foot and quickly chipped it laterally over nearby defenders.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 July 2025
-
Kil noted that one of the features of the town hall remodel project will deaden the noise from the passing trains, which at times can drown out speakers during town meetings.—
Jim Woods,
Chicago Tribune,
18 May 2025
Adjective
-
Gout’s tall stature, languid running style and raw speed have drawn comparisons with legendary sprinter Usain Bolt and he is considered one of the fastest teenagers in the world.—
Ben Morse,
CNN Money,
25 June 2025
-
Perhaps Goodman could withstand his sweatshop duties as a catcher while still producing the power its languid offense so desperately needs.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
6 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Enervate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/enervate. Accessed 12 Jul. 2025.
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