1
as in undermines
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 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
Verb
-
DeSantis said that provision requires lawmakers to consider race and undermines the Fair Districts Amendment as a whole — paving the legal pathway to getting around the state’s partisan gerrymandering ban altogether.—
Claire Heddles,
Miami Herald,
28 Apr. 2026 -
Families and businesses cannot plan ahead, which undermines investment, growth, and prosperity.—
Gregg Nunziata,
The Atlantic,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Expanding nonmedical exemptions, however, weakens the very protections those medically vulnerable children depend on.—
Sarah Marsicek,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Critics say allowing the department to delay or sideline state investigations weakens one of the last independent checks on government lawyers.—
Jaclyn Diaz,
NPR,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
If the search for a large outdoor planter exhausts you—just get a terra-cotta planter.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
6 Apr. 2026
-
As the oil blockade quickly exhausts Cuba’s supply of fuel, triggering a series of lengthy, island-wide blackouts, many here are exhausted and are becoming increasingly vocal about their desire for fundamental changes in Cuba.—
Kate Linthicum,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The formula softens skin, making this Philosophy bath gel a luxurious shower experience.—
Gina Vaynshteyn,
StyleCaster,
29 Apr. 2026
-
This is seen in conditions such as rickets, which softens and weakens the bones, often seen in children.—
Anthea Levi,
Health,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
This idea of reasonableness is easily caricatured as moral timidity or a bloodless neutrality that drains politics of passion.—
Nikhil Krishnan,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
-
That’s why a fine textured soil, like clay, drains more poorly than does a coarse, sandy soil.—
Paul Cappiello,
Louisville Courier Journal,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
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
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.
Cite this Entry
“Enervates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/enervates. Accessed 30 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
