as in weak
lacking bodily strength
the enfeebled old woman now needs a companion to help her with everyday tasks
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in weakened
to diminish the physical strength of
long periods of being confined to a hospital bed will enfeeble anyone
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 enfeebled
Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
During a hospital stay, Roy’s enfeebled mother fixates on the caste and religious affiliations of the doctors treating her—the sort of thing that will be familiar to anyone who has cringed at a diminished elder’s unfiltered prejudices.
—Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 3 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for enfeebled
Adjective
-
What has changed is that higher ed itself is arguably weaker than ever.—
Emma Green,
New Yorker,
13 Oct. 2025
-
In fact, weather models vary widely on how strong Lorenzo could get in the coming days, ranging from a weak tropical storm to a Category 2 hurricane, the hurricane center said.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Nearly everything weakened, from Big Tech companies like Nvidia and Apple to stocks of smaller companies looking to get past uncertainty about tariffs and trade.—
Nino Paoli,
Fortune,
11 Oct. 2025
-
Eighteen packages of European Union sanctions and dozens more from the United States, United Kingdom and others have weakened Russia’s economy – but not its resolve to carry on fighting.—
Clare Sebastian,
CNN Money,
11 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The festival unfolds at a particularly tenuous time for the documentary field, which for the past several years has faced a feeble acquisition market.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
9 Oct. 2025
-
Cupping was quite popular among feeble white women in North America, and those same marks, Daria knew, were present on her own body, concealed beneath her loose T-shirt.—
Catherine Lacey,
New Yorker,
5 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Add trinity mix and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and cook, stirring often, until softened and scraping up any brown bits on bottom of pan, 8 to 10 minutes.—
Marianne Williams,
Southern Living,
12 Oct. 2025
-
Compared to refrigerator-temperature butter, softened butter blends more easily with the other wet ingredients.—
Karla Walsh,
Better Homes & Gardens,
11 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The figures were outgoing Spanish Prime Minister Adolfo Suárez, Santiago Carrillo, head of the Spanish Communist Party, and armed forces chief Manuel Gutiérrez Mellado who, though a frail near-70, got up to order the rebel Guards to lay down their arms.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
14 Oct. 2025
-
The fate of one of the few remaining opposition figures who was still in the country depended on the frail relationship between the Cuban government and the United States.—
Nora Gamez Torres,
Miami Herald,
13 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The Department of Education’s principal function in K-12 schools is to protect our most vulnerable students, including students who are disabled and economically disadvantaged.—
Grace Tucker,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
15 Oct. 2025
-
Being an advocate for disability awareness and disabled motherhood has also become a part of her platform as the current title holder of Miss Queen Central Alberta with Personality Pageants Canada.—
David Chiu,
PEOPLE,
14 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Enfeebled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/enfeebled. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share