as in exhausting
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1
as in undermining
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 weakening
to diminish the physical strength of
the surgery really enervated me for weeks afterwards
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of enervating
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
Verb
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for enervating
Adjective
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Equally efficient, less exhausting.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
7 Jan. 2026
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Big in-game comebacks are exhilarating – and exhausting.—
Mirjam Swanson,
Oc Register,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But Taylor’s remarks quickly drew criticism from civil liberties advocates and media scholars, who said his comments risked undermining public safety and the public’s right to document police activity.—
Robert Salonga,
Mercury News,
23 Jan. 2026
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Financial extremism of any kind could be undermining an alliance.—
Tribune Content Agency,
Baltimore Sun,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Milk, butter and cheese prices on the wholesale market and at grocery stores have decreased slightly due to oversupply and weakening consumer demand.—
Cheryl V. Jackson,
IndyStar,
9 Jan. 2026
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This suggests consumers enter 2026 with continuing concerns over high prices and weakening labor market conditions.—
Phillip Molnar,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Grand Luna has an unprecedented high-frequency extension that goes as high as 30kHz, while remaining smooth, non-fatiguing, and eliminating harshness or sibilance thanks to Campfire’s acoustic engineering.—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Clay-heavy soils under many Michigan roads, especially around Metro Detroit, trap moisture rather than draining it.—
Ahmad Bajjey,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
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Public schools in Florida are funded on a per-student basis, and schools that operate at about half capacity or less typically do not generate enough money to be self-supporting, instead draining the district’s budget.—
Steven Walker,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The lower house in the Dutch parliament approved a plan to scrap bonus restrictions for most financial sector staff, a major step in softening a rule that has long been excoriated by the industry.—
Sarah Jacob,
Bloomberg,
27 Jan. 2026
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The remaining ingredients are (brace yourself) anti-inflammatory, antioxidant-rich, barrier-strengthening, moisture-retaining, pollution-protecting, and softening.—
Tamim Alnuweiri,
InStyle,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The scientists set out to investigate a debilitating and lethal parasite that’s been plaguing monarchs.—
Drew Kann,
AJC.com,
12 Jan. 2026
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Or, the first generation simply declined from senescence and the debilitating effects of power long exercised without check.—
Eliot A. Cohen,
The Atlantic,
4 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Both nationally and in Minnesota , there has been a shift away from intelligent discussion of public policy to endless partisan warfare with a deadening impact on the public.—
Arne Carlson,
Twin Cities,
8 Jan. 2026
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Now, Sora 2 might just be another online fad, a reality-deadening distraction that people will soon tire of.—
Brian Stelter,
CNN Money,
3 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Enervating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/enervating. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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