enervating 1 of 2

adjective

as in exhausting

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enervating

2 of 2

verb

present participle of enervate
1
as in undermining
to deprive of emotional or intellectual vitality a lifetime of working in dreary jobs had enervated his very soul

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 enervating
Verb
Such flat, enervating filmmaking makes the whole endeavor a shockingly cynical affair. — Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026 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, 13 Mar. 2026 The results are often enervating though sometimes clumsy. — Eli Enis, Pitchfork, 3 Feb. 2026 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 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 That shock is severely dampened by Hickey’s enervating pacing; there is nothing steady about the build here, the line graph of the production instead one of sudden lurches. — Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for enervating
  1. exhausting
  2. undermining
  3. weakening
  4. fatiguing
  5. draining
  6. softening
  7. debilitating
  8. deadening
Adjective
  • What was once an exhausting logistical trial has become the first chapter in a grand Antarctic journey.
    — Liam Hess, Vogue, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Lunch is not a social meal at the hotel, as patients are often in the midst of treatments, many of which can be exhausting.
    — D. T. Max, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of exhausting
Verb
  • Both fringe and mainstream conservatives have portrayed Indian Americans as stealing high-paying tech jobs from white workers and undermining American unity.
    — Gaby Del Valle, The Verge, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Chapek made Iger a starring character in his own memoir, blaming him for undermining his leadership after selecting him for the top job.
    — Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of undermining
Verb
  • Electing more allies could give either camp an edge in shaping AI policy in the next Congress, even as the feud risks weakening Silicon Valley's clout.
    — Luke Fountain, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Today, despite low unemployment and easing inflation, frustration over everyday expenses is weighing on voter’s perception of the economy — and weakening Lula’s support.
    — Alessandra Freitas, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of weakening
Adjective
  • Most other feeders can send dozens, if not hundreds, of clips to your phone each day, which can be more fatiguing than relaxing to go through.
    — Jim Fisher, PC Magazine, 27 Sep. 2026
  • But the most mentally fatiguing aspect, the work found, was having to constantly supervise the AI tools, with some employees overseeing multiple AI agents performing different tasks at the same time.
    — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 12 Mar. 2026
Definition of fatiguing
Verb
  • The most famous killing up to that point — of Janet Leigh in Psycho — showed nothing more than a modest pool of black-and-white blood draining in a bathtub.
    — Matthew Jacobs, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Irvine Lake began draining this morning ahead of the El Niño and to upgrade the 93-year-old reservoir.
    — Rina Nakano, CBS News, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of draining
Verb
  • This shot nails the mural’s vibrant colors and crisp wood-grain details, but upon close inspection, there's some noise and softening on the edges.
    — Kimberly Gedeon, PC Magazine, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Medik8 Advanced Night Ceramide is a rich overnight cream that helps replenish dry skin while softening the look of crepiness, fine lines, and rough texture.
    — Christa Joanna Lee, Glamour, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of softening
Adjective
  • According to the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), threats to these sectors can create debilitating impacts on the economy, public health and safety.
    — Julie Song, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2026
  • That’s a good thing, in the sense that even if a child is infected, the vast majority do not develop debilitating, and potentially fatal, consequences.
    — Eli Cahan, Rolling Stone, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of debilitating
Verb
  • Inside the cabin, extensive additional sound deadening in the doors, trunk and wheel arches means phone calls and passenger conversations are entirely effortless at highway speeds.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Each presents a group portrait of a handful of disaffected British suburbanites—husbands who resent their deadening jobs, toddlers who whine and interrupt, and, above all, hassled wives subsumed by a crush of household obligations.
    — Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of deadening

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Cite this Entry

“Enervating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/enervating. Accessed 2 Nov. 2026.

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