as in debilitating
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
as in weakening
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 enfeebling
Sebastian Smee,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
If the goal instead is regime weakening—enfeebling the Islamic Republic so the Iranian public could overwhelm it—there are two ways forward.
—
Dennis Ross,
The Atlantic,
13 Mar. 2026
If that is the case, the economic effect will be to draw capital out of emerging market economies, enfeebling them (and their currencies and bond markets).
—
Mike O'Sullivan,
Forbes.com,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
In Church’s day, that separation depended on promoting a robust idea of American innocence over Europe’s enfeebling corruption.
—
Sebastian Smee,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
If the goal instead is regime weakening—enfeebling the Islamic Republic so the Iranian public could overwhelm it—there are two ways forward.
—
Dennis Ross,
The Atlantic,
13 Mar. 2026
If that is the case, the economic effect will be to draw capital out of emerging market economies, enfeebling them (and their currencies and bond markets).
—
Mike O'Sullivan,
Forbes.com,
15 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for enfeebling
Adjective
-
Parazaider had revealed his most debilitating condition in a statement on the group’s website 2021.
-
Such a statistic often provokes a familiar gamut of responses from those who read it, from shock, disgust and anger to a debilitating sense of helplessness.
Verb
-
Negotiating with Iran at the table, in his view, risks strengthening Iran’s role in Lebanon and weakening Lebanon’s own government.
-
Several countermeasures aimed at overturning or weakening the billionaire tax have also made the November ballot.
Adjective
-
Others are voluntarily asking to see more patients because the most draining and time-consuming parts of their job are now handled by AI.
-
Already carrying wider spans of control and shrinking development support, a manager operating against an outdated role definition is doing something more draining than managing a heavy workload.
Verb
-
And that's especially critical this July with inflation surging again, wages softening and higher borrowing costs expected to remain unchanged for the foreseeable future.
-
Most at-home versions last around one to four weeks, depending on hair type, product strength, and aftercare, with results gradually softening as the brow hairs return to their natural direction.
Adjective
-
But the most mentally fatiguing aspect, the work found, was having to constantly supervise the AI tools, with some employees overseeing multiple AI agents performing different tasks at the same time.
-
My friend was in course of opening up his country house unassisted, and after a fatiguing day discovered that the only practical bed was a child’s affair— long enough but scarcely wider than a crib.
Adjective
-
Still, this was a discouraging result for anyone wearing yellow in Kansas City.
-
The Chicago Blackhawks needed plenty after a discouraging 2024-25 season.
Adjective
-
The early goal from Germany was a bit demoralizing for the South American team, but Nilson Angulo was able to shake it off with a beautiful shot in the ninth minute to equalize.
-
The trio also acknowledged how demoralizing and disheartening the recent spate of firings, and the lack of explanation for them, has been.
Adjective
-
Constant vigilance and self-editing are exhausting.
-
This one has a sleek, ultralight design that makes vacuum cleaning less exhausting.
Cite this Entry
“Enfeebling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/enfeebling. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
