enfeeblement

noun

Definition of enfeeblementnext
1
as in deterioration
a gradual sinking and wasting away of mind or body daily exercise can help to halt some of the enfeeblement that comes with advanced years

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in weakness
the quality or state of lacking physical strength or vigor a lot of the enfeeblement I've experienced since the accident is being gradually diminished by daily physical therapy

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for enfeeblement
  1. deterioration
  2. weakness
  3. weakening
  4. exhaustion
  5. fatigue
  6. feebleness
  7. debility
Noun
  • The study showed buildings with uneven floors and deterioration in utility corridors for heating, cooling and plumbing lines.
    — Dylan Lysen, Kansas City Star, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The dispute comes amid a broader deterioration in Israel's relations with several European governments.
    — Dov Lieber, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of deterioration
Noun
  • Every monster has unique strengths and weaknesses, and each demands a different response.
    — Jeff DeGraff, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026
  • As rules and institutions constrain less and brute power matters more, countries will seek partners to help them blunt sanctions, access critical technologies, compensate for military weaknesses, expand their room for maneuver, and resist isolation.
    — Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Foreign Affairs, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of weakness
Noun
  • The networks learn to recognize patterns by strengthening and weakening connections between nodes in response to training data.
    — Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Under the previous administration, Brazil’s audiovisual industry suffered from the closure of the Ministry of Culture, the suspension of the Audiovisual Sector Fund, the weakening of cultural institutions, and allegations of censorship.
    — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of weakening
Noun
  • Abrams does yeoman’s work with a character stuck in a tight spot for most of the running time, constantly grunting and gasping with a mixture of anguish and exhaustion as his body gets progressively more beat up and broken.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Tina testified for an hour before fainting from exhaustion, returning later that day for a second round of questioning.
    — Andrew Coletti, Popular Science, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of exhaustion
Noun
  • Injuries and fatigue hollowed out a once-dominant roster, with Shohei Ohtani’s decision to keep pitching through pain leaving the team without its most potent hitter in October.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Chen advised supervisors facing decision fatigue to review shots within their sequences rather than obsess over individual frames.
    — Davide Abbatescianni, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of fatigue
Noun
  • As Kasubhai observed, despite its legal feebleness, Kennedy’s declaration and its explicit threat has had a concrete impact on the provision of gender-affirming services to American youths.
    — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026
  • Signs of disease include warts on legs, crusty or swollen eyes, feebleness, a ruffled appearance, difficulty breathing, nasal discharge, and diarrhea.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 5 Mar. 2026
Definition of feebleness
Noun
  • In recent years, white supremacists have embraced the concept of lactose intolerance as a distinguishing debility of nonwhite people.
    — Hilary Smith, The Conversation, 25 Aug. 2026
  • And, when pets suffered from cancer or heart failure or debility, conversations about what to do next were emotional but often straightforward.
    — Sunita Puri, New Yorker, 6 June 2026
Definition of debility
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.

Browse Nearby Words

enfeebled
enfeeblement
enfeebles
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Enfeeblement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/enfeeblement. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 16
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All