enervates

verb

present tense third-person singular of enervate
1
as in undermines
to deprive of emotional or intellectual vitality a lifetime of working in dreary jobs had enervated his very soul

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in weakens
to diminish the physical strength of the surgery really enervated me for weeks afterwards

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for enervates
  1. undermines
  2. weakens
  3. exhausts
  4. softens
  5. deadens
  6. drains
  7. petrifies
Verb
  • Self-awareness bolsters leadership while self-surveillance nearly always undermines it.
    — Carol Geffner, Forbes.com, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Other witnesses testified about evidence prosecutors say undermines Flynn’s initial story to police.
    — Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of undermines
Verb
  • Fink said the churn weakens the tie between a worker and an employer.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Opponents argue the proposal weakens environmental protections, stifles community input and could fast-track projects like data centers and freeways.
    — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of weakens
Verb
  • If a bureaucratic process exhausts whatever time a citizen has available, then benefits are lost or rights are denied.
    — Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 14 Aug. 2026
  • That’s because even ordinary winds – and far worse, storms and earthquakes – cause tall buildings to sway, which ruins people’s concentration, wrecks their mood, and even exhausts them.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 24 July 2026
Definition of exhausts
Verb
  • The formula pairs urea with moisturizing and barrier-supporting ingredients in a rich cream that softens dry hands and cuticles without leaving behind a greasy finish.
    — Danielle James, Glamour, 25 Sep. 2026
  • This allows the exterior to char while the interior softens to the perfect texture.
    — Elizabeth Nelson, Southern Living, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of softens
Verb
  • Oppressively hot, lie-down-and-take-a-nap hot, hydration-break hot, the kind of hot that deadens feet.
    — Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 10 July 2026
Definition of deadens
Verb
  • Nothing drains a team faster than not knowing which version of leadership will show up today.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Calderas form when the ground above a magma reservoir collapses as the magma drains away.
    — Yook Ji Hun, ArsTechnica, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of drains
Verb
  • 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
  • The former slingshots between harmony and hysteria; the latter petrifies its beauty under a haze of ashy gray powder.
    — Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 28 Nov. 2025
Definition of petrifies
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Enervates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/enervates. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

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