1
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to weaken
to diminish the physical strength of
the surgery really enervated me for weeks afterwards
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in feeble
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in weakness
the quality or state of lacking physical strength or vigor
took a dip in the pool to alleviate the enervation caused by the heat and humidity
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of enervate
Cameron Hilditch, National Review, 28 Feb. 2021
The saving grace of this often enervating thriller is that Doscher grants time for his actors to build character and intimacy, and both Pinto and Odom offer warm, affectingly natural performances as two people facing the end of their world.
—Teo Bugbee, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2020
To a great extent, that reflects the endless, enervating nature of the Brexit debate.
—Mark Landler, New York Times, 31 Jan. 2020
Jack’s enervating recovery in The Way Back is full of drab, predictable pathos instead of the stylized drama in Dawn of Justice.
—Armond White, National Review, 6 Mar. 2020
Perhaps the most intimate of these photographs presents her after a shower, wet and enervated, rubbing a cloth across her reflection in a mirror, as though the condensation were crud.
—Eren Orbey, The New Yorker, 6 Feb. 2020
Then again, enervating her supporters has been Madonna’s M.O. in recent years.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 3 July 2019
But the art which resists the slow sap of a chronic disease—which repairs frames enervated by lust, swollen by gluttony, or inflamed by wine . .
—Chris Pope, WSJ, 17 Mar. 2019
Such behavior is particularly enervating when the West aims to bring new countries into permanent and universal—that is, Western-style—guarantees of security and systems of relations.
—I. William Zartman, WSJ, 24 June 2018
Verb
This relationship, when successful, tends to enervate mediating institutions that thwart the immediate desires of both the populist leader and the public.
—Cameron Hilditch, National Review, 28 Feb. 2021
The saving grace of this often enervating thriller is that Doscher grants time for his actors to build character and intimacy, and both Pinto and Odom offer warm, affectingly natural performances as two people facing the end of their world.
—Teo Bugbee, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2020
To a great extent, that reflects the endless, enervating nature of the Brexit debate.
—Mark Landler, New York Times, 31 Jan. 2020
Jack’s enervating recovery in The Way Back is full of drab, predictable pathos instead of the stylized drama in Dawn of Justice.
—Armond White, National Review, 6 Mar. 2020
Perhaps the most intimate of these photographs presents her after a shower, wet and enervated, rubbing a cloth across her reflection in a mirror, as though the condensation were crud.
—Eren Orbey, The New Yorker, 6 Feb. 2020
Then again, enervating her supporters has been Madonna’s M.O. in recent years.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 3 July 2019
But the art which resists the slow sap of a chronic disease—which repairs frames enervated by lust, swollen by gluttony, or inflamed by wine . .
—Chris Pope, WSJ, 17 Mar. 2019
Such behavior is particularly enervating when the West aims to bring new countries into permanent and universal—that is, Western-style—guarantees of security and systems of relations.
—I. William Zartman, WSJ, 24 June 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for enervate
Verb
-
This kind of long-term vision is undermined by drastic and unpredictable trade policies.—
Tom Rogers,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Apr. 2025
-
Miranda Jeyaretnam and Chad de Guzman reported on April 30, 2025, for the 50th anniversary of the war’s end, on how President Donald Trump is undermining U.S.-Vietnam reconciliation.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
30 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
As more state legislation is passed that weakens or eliminates longstanding fire and life safety codes, the need for young workers who are trained and passionate about reversing these trends is high.—
Jim Pauley,
Forbes.com,
28 Apr. 2025
-
The pests set about sucking the sap from grape roots, slowly weakening them and opening wounds that invited disease.—
The Editors,
JSTOR Daily,
28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
During a question-and-answer session, shareholders grumbled about everything from the falling share price and feeble dividend of 6 euros versus 14 euros in 2023 to the complicated WiFi login process and historic lack of shareholder gifts.—
Miles Socha,
Footwear News,
24 Apr. 2025
-
But Alex lived strong, died well, gave birth to a pivotal Dutton baby, dumped her feeble aristo fiancé for Spencer, and gave viewers a love story saga.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
6 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Without the puck, Nurse and Bouchard have the same weakness (read and react, wandering).—
Allan Mitchell,
New York Times,
3 May 2025
-
Soft data like consumer confidence survey, polling and jobless claims show signs of economic weakness.—
Alain Sherter,
CBS News,
2 May 2025
Verb
-
Dominate a single platform Many entrepreneurs exhaust themselves trying to maintain presence across every social channel, newsletter platform, and podcast directory.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
30 Apr. 2025
-
The gorilla could easily maim several men before being exhausted.—
Mohammed Soliman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Add bell peppers to pan; cook until peppers just start to soften, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes.—
Ann Taylor Pittman,
Southern Living,
2 May 2025
-
Grief can soften us and deepen our empathy or bring on rage and isolation.—
Friends of Karen,
Forbes.com,
1 May 2025
Noun
-
Among the more predictable outcomes are burnout, exhaustion, and declines in job satisfaction.—
Adia Harvey Wingfield,
Forbes.com,
1 May 2025
-
At the end of this rally phase, the RSI pushed into the overbought region which suggests a potential exhaustion point.—
David Keller,
CNBC,
1 May 2025
Verb
-
The arena goes icily silent, punctuated by some half-hearted boos as the clock drains down.—
Sean McIndoe,
New York Times,
1 May 2025
-
Today's Amazon deals are built to level up your setup without draining your wallet.—
Shubham Yewale,
PC Magazine,
1 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Enervate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/enervate. Accessed 13 May. 2025.
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