prostrated 1 of 2

adjective

as in weak
lacking bodily strength patients should expect to feel very prostrated after the surgery

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

prostrated

2 of 2

verb

past tense of prostrate
1
as in weakened
to diminish the physical strength of an athlete prostrated for weeks by a bout of pneumonia

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in paralyzed
to render powerless, ineffective, or unable to move the huge increase in gas prices really prostrated the nation's economic engine

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in overwhelmed
to subject to incapacitating emotional or mental stress a widow prostrated by crushing grief

Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in downed
to strike (someone) so forcefully as to cause a fall the boxer bragged that he could prostrate any opponent with a single blow

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 prostrated
Verb
So is Sweden’s Yasin Ayari, who prostrated himself on the field to thank God after the first of his two goals in a victory Sunday over Tunisia — his father’s homeland. — ABC News, 18 June 2026 Groypers believe that for decades America has prostrated itself to immigrants and foreign nations at the expense of its own languishing citizens. — Antonia Hitchens, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prostrated
  1. weak
  2. weakened
  3. crippled
  4. overwhelmed
  5. downed
  6. feeble
  7. softened
  8. incapacitated
Adjective
  • Studies have shown that countries with stronger IP systems tend to be more innovative, while weaker IP systems may stifle innovation.
    — Andrei Iancu, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Are scientists hindered by a weak grasp of the physics driving GRBs?
    — Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of weak
Verb
  • Economist Thomas Philippon calculates that weakened competition costs the typical household about $300 a month.
    — Christopher Marquis, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The Houthis are the crown jewel in this network, given how much Hezbollah has been weakened.
    — Ali Vaez, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of weakened
Verb
  • He is crippled by doubt, convinced that others are gaining on him.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The long nightmare might be over for South African producers, whose industry has been crippled for more than two years by the paralysis of a rebate program that for all intents and purposes had ceased to function.
    — Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of crippled
Verb
  • Following Stark’s rescue, the first responders at Paradise Canyon Drive were overwhelmed, according to two civilians who were present and Hernandez’s body-camera footage.
    — Abe Streep, ProPublica, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Swain settled in this preseason, showing an improved progression in his decision making when he was not overwhelmed by on-ball duties.
    — Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of overwhelmed
Verb
  • With night set to fall, many in the area were without power due to outages planned by Southern California Edison in hopes of preventing power lines downed by the winds from sparking fires.
    — Tom Tapp, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Deja Davis scored on a header early in the second half and the Boston Legacy downed Racing Louisville 2-1 in the National Women's Soccer League on Friday night.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of downed
Adjective
  • In 1937, Foyles started the Right Book Club, a rather feeble counterweight to Victor Gollancz’s Left Book Club.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The probe’s landing gear is designed to absorb the energy of each landing to mitigate the risk of tipping over or bouncing back into space, a real concern with the feeble and uneven gravity field on Phobos.
    — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of feeble
Verb
  • Lead times for the iPhone 18 Pro have softened in several markets compared with the prior cycle, while the more expensive Pro Max has held up better, according to JPMorgan's tracking.
    — MacKenzie Sigalos,Kif Leswing, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The anthem video features Zankov speaking about tactile and nostalgic references, such as leather softened by a long journey and the feeling of cashmere on the skin, that inspired the collection.
    — David Moin, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of softened
Verb
  • Now, a poisonous residue on the same crowbar has left him incapacitated.
    — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 21 Oct. 2026
  • According to the suit, Jane Doe was beset by seven men while she was incapacitated by drugs and alcohol.
    — Anahid Nersessian, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of incapacitated

Browse Nearby Words

prostrate
prostrated
prostrates
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Prostrated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prostrated. Accessed 24 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

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of puissant

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

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

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

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

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Oct. 23

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

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

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
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
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All