as in to weaken
to diminish the physical strength of
long periods of being confined to a hospital bed will enfeeble anyone
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of enfeeble
Mike O'Sullivan, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
That more recent tradition of the Bears — over the last 3 1/2 decades — has been one of mediocrity and that’s something Warren and Ryan Poles — and anyone else attached to the coaching search in any manner — has to convince top candidates will not enfeeble the organization moving forward.
—Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune, 9 Dec. 2024
With its proxies enfeebled, the failure of Iran’s second missile barrage to do significant damage, and its adversaries’ superior military and intelligence capacities, the Islamic Republic’s hand has undoubtedly been weakened.
—Ali Vaez, Foreign Affairs, 11 Oct. 2024
To gain the gavel, McCarthy had to make a series of humiliating, enfeebling concessions to his far-right flank that more or less disempowered him.
—Alex Shephard, The New Republic, 28 Apr. 2023
Decades of mass incarceration have resulted in a prison population growing older and more enfeebled, and has introduced the challenge of reintegrating people coming out after long sentences, often with few skills, into a society that technology has made alienatingly unfamiliar.
—Ginia Bellafante, New York Times, 31 Mar. 2023
Yet an honest accounting forced me to admit that my ability to party, protest, and publish has been far more enfeebled than enabled by social media.
—Peter Rubin, Longreads, 7 Mar. 2023
Most of the time, the result will enfeeble the virus.
—Boyce Upholt, The New Republic, 19 Sep. 2022
The paradox is that trauma’s lingering impacts can enfeeble human connection, weakening even the strongest of social bonds.
—New York Times, 5 July 2022
Verb
Since then, Recep Erdogan has enfeebled the country’s institutions and its economic backbone and has turned a foreign policy that used to be based on ‘no trouble with neigbours’ to one of ‘trouble with neighbours’.
—Mike O'Sullivan, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
That more recent tradition of the Bears — over the last 3 1/2 decades — has been one of mediocrity and that’s something Warren and Ryan Poles — and anyone else attached to the coaching search in any manner — has to convince top candidates will not enfeeble the organization moving forward.
—Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune, 9 Dec. 2024
With its proxies enfeebled, the failure of Iran’s second missile barrage to do significant damage, and its adversaries’ superior military and intelligence capacities, the Islamic Republic’s hand has undoubtedly been weakened.
—Ali Vaez, Foreign Affairs, 11 Oct. 2024
To gain the gavel, McCarthy had to make a series of humiliating, enfeebling concessions to his far-right flank that more or less disempowered him.
—Alex Shephard, The New Republic, 28 Apr. 2023
Decades of mass incarceration have resulted in a prison population growing older and more enfeebled, and has introduced the challenge of reintegrating people coming out after long sentences, often with few skills, into a society that technology has made alienatingly unfamiliar.
—Ginia Bellafante, New York Times, 31 Mar. 2023
Yet an honest accounting forced me to admit that my ability to party, protest, and publish has been far more enfeebled than enabled by social media.
—Peter Rubin, Longreads, 7 Mar. 2023
Most of the time, the result will enfeeble the virus.
—Boyce Upholt, The New Republic, 19 Sep. 2022
The paradox is that trauma’s lingering impacts can enfeeble human connection, weakening even the strongest of social bonds.
—New York Times, 5 July 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for enfeeble
Verb
-
Bias, inaccuracies and missing values can all weaken model reliability.—
Tor Constantino,
Forbes.com,
3 June 2025
-
Coercing democratic allies such as Canada or Denmark more broadly weakens trust in U.S. alliances; threatening Panama reawakens fears of imperialism throughout Latin America; crippling the U.S. Agency for International Development undercuts the United States’ reputation for benevolence.—
Robert O. Keohane,
Foreign Affairs,
2 June 2025
Noun
-
They are then transported to the Berkhamsted conservation center, where their condition is examined for deterioration.—
Benny Har-Even,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2025
-
Nationwide, the ramifications of deportation for these key citizens will affect all of us, which can lead to deterioration of our healthcare system, hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, home health aides, etc.—
Rachel Blumberg,
Sun Sentinel,
3 June 2025
Noun
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And the weakness is extending to other travel industry forecasts, like hotels.—
Danielle Chemtob,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
-
Potential symptoms include insomnia, muscle cramps, constipation, nausea and vomiting, fatigue, weakness, numbness, tingling, personality changes and heart arrhythmias, experts say.—
Amy McGorry,
FOXNews.com,
9 June 2025
Verb
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The experience of caring for another living creature has been found to soften inmates’ anger, allowing some to experience warmth and affection for the first time in their lives.—
John Blake,
CNN Money,
8 June 2025
-
In European competition, Postecoglou softened his principles and played functional football.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
7 June 2025
Noun
-
With ubiquity came a degree of creative exhaustion.—
Christopher Bonanos,
Curbed,
6 June 2025
-
Their temporary electronic face tattoo, or e-tattoo, can read brain waves and not only detect when the ol' gray matter is overworked, but also predict when exhaustion is approaching.—
Paul McClure
May 29,
New Atlas,
29 May 2025
Noun
-
One showed camouflage fatigues worn by a Colombian fighter festooned with patches that include the flag of Ukraine.—
Kate Linthicum,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2025
-
But the latest findings indicate that, while Trump still commands deep loyalty among a significant portion of the GOP base, his branding power may be reaching its ceiling—or even entering a phase of fatigue or redefinition.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 June 2025
Noun
-
The shadow of death and debility haunted American women throughout the nineteenth century.—
Jenny Noyce,
JSTOR Daily,
28 June 2024
-
President Biden’s troubles — lingering inflation, wars and rumors of wars, his debility — could have benefited any Republican.—
David Harsanyi,
National Review,
25 Jan. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Enfeeble.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/enfeeble. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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