ENERVATE Synonyms: 143 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the verb 'enervate' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of enervate are emasculate , unman , and unnerve . While all these words mean "to deprive of strength or vigor and the capacity for effective action," enervate suggests a gradual physical or moral weakening (as through luxury or indolence) until one is too feeble to make an effort. // a nation's youth enervated by affluence and leisure

Q: When would 'emasculate' be a good substitute for 'enervate'?

The synonyms emasculate and enervate are sometimes interchangeable, but emasculate stresses a depriving of characteristic force by removing something essential. // an amendment that emasculates existing safeguards

Q: Where would 'unman' be a reasonable alternative to 'enervate'?

Although the words unman and enervate have much in common, unman implies a loss of manly vigor, fortitude, or spirit. // a soldier unmanned by the terrors of battle

Q: In what contexts can 'unnerve' take the place of 'enervate'?

While in some cases nearly identical to enervate , unnerve implies marked often temporary loss of courage, self-control, or power to act. // unnerved by the near collision

enervate 1 of 2

verb

ˈe-nər-ˌvāt

Definition of enervate

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to weaken

to diminish the physical strength of the surgery really enervated me for weeks afterwards

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

enervate

2 of 2

adjective

as in feeble

Related Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb enervate differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of enervate are emasculate, unman, and unnerve. While all these words mean "to deprive of strength or vigor and the capacity for effective action," enervate suggests a gradual physical or moral weakening (as through luxury or indolence) until one is too feeble to make an effort.

a nation's youth enervated by affluence and leisure

When would emasculate be a good substitute for enervate?

The synonyms emasculate and enervate are sometimes interchangeable, but emasculate stresses a depriving of characteristic force by removing something essential.

an amendment that emasculates existing safeguards

Where would unman be a reasonable alternative to enervate?

Although the words unman and enervate have much in common, unman implies a loss of manly vigor, fortitude, or spirit.

a soldier unmanned by the terrors of battle

In what contexts can unnerve take the place of enervate?

While in some cases nearly identical to enervate, unnerve implies marked often temporary loss of courage, self-control, or power to act.

unnerved by the near collision

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 enervate

Verb

This may reframe his friend’s enervating habit. — Hope Hunt, Baltimore Sun, 30 Jan. 2026 Some of these values—such as a disciplined commitment to physical fitness—are good and, in my opinion, necessary correctives to the enervating distractions of 21st-century living. — Dan Brooks, The Atlantic, 2 Oct. 2025 Bears do not truly hibernate, but instead enervate, or enter a state of torpor, in their dens. — Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 25 Sep. 2025 Looming over all of it has been the sad, enervating situation with Alexander Isak, forever enshrined as a club legend by dint of Wembley last season but now beyond the point of tarnishing that legacy. — George Caulkin, New York Times, 10 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for enervate

Recent Examples of Synonyms for enervate

Verb

Later’s 2026 research on Gen-Z creator ROI found that trust and authentic creator relationships matter more to conversions than simply maximizing reach, while over-scripting creators can undermine that trust.

— Sergi Cerrato, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
After that report, and Warsh's tough talk on inflation late last month, most economists argue that Warsh will have to hike rates or risk undermining his credibility with financial markets.

— ABC News, ABC News, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of undermine

Verb

People familiar with the deliberations said lawmakers worried the requirements would raise drug prices and weaken national security by revealing the precise locations where lifesaving medications are made.

— Naisha Roy, ProPublica, 18 Sep. 2026
Macron warned that the attacks would not go unanswered and accused Moscow of trying to intimidate Europeans into weakening their support for Ukraine.

— ABC News, ABC News, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of weaken

Adjective

There has to be something more than this, looking feeble against a rookie lefty with average stuff followed by the worst bullpen in baseball.

— Matt Gelb, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026
Kenneth Branagh originated the somewhat aloof professor, who steps into the role after Professor Quirrell was revealed to be hosting the feeble Lord Voldemort on the back of his bald head.

— Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of feeble

Verb

Commanders should seek positional advantages without exhausting their soldiers, manipulate the enemy’s movements when possible, and recognize when circumstances make pursuit or attack unwise.

— Ethan Teekah, Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 Sep. 2026
Then Shay Whitcomb, who is here only as a waiver-claim placeholder because the Giants exhausted all their infield depth, drove a pitch off the wall in center field to cap the six-run rally and give the Giants the lead.

— Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of exhaust

Verb

The Sagittarius Moon trines Chiron in your partnership zone, softening the instinct to package every feeling so perfectly that nobody could possibly object.

— Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2026
In a nod to the brand’s Brazilian roots, Brazil nut oil (rich in vitamin E and fatty acids including omegas 3 and 6) adds nourishing emollient benefits, while rice bran oil and dimethicone soften skin and keep moisture from escaping.

— Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of soften

Adjective

By 1877, the hope for Black equality met an enfeebled federal government that essentially permitted Jim Crow to run amok.

— Wesley Morris, New York Times, 9 June 2026
But given the island’s small size and enfeebled state, the risks seem much smaller than in Iran.

— Niall Stanage, The Hill, 20 May 2026

Definition of enfeebled

Verb

Detectives drained three dams, searched six mineshafts and sent up drones with specialized cameras to take detailed imagery, later analyzed with artificial intelligence.

— Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 20 Sep. 2026
The book leans on research about decision fatigue—the idea that even trivial choices drain the mental capacity available for harder ones—to argue that the sheer volume of daily inputs, not just their content, has a cost.

— Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 20 Sep. 2026

Definition of drain

Adjective

First-act setups extend through the majority of the 108-minute runtime, constituting a plotless meander without the aesthetic allure to justify such a languid journey.

— Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 16 Sep. 2026
With what seems like little embellishment to real locations (including a genuine culture of female-only caddies sporting bright colors), the movie captures a languid, top-down strangeness.

— Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of languid

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energy

enervate

enervated

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“Enervate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/enervate. Accessed 21 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of enervate

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