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weaken

verb

Synonyms and Antonyms of weaken

1 to diminish the physical strength of
  • Weeks of hardship in the desert had greatly weakened them.
Synonyms of weaken

debilitate, devitalize, enervate, enfeeble, etiolate, prostrate, sap, soften, tire, waste
Words Related to weaken

cripple, disable, hamstring, incapacitate

deplete, depress, exhaust, impoverish, unman, wash out

damage, harm, hurt, impair, injure, invalid, lay up

break down, grind (down), wear down, wear out

paralyze
Near Antonyms of weaken

energize, invigorate, recruit, rejuvenate, vitalize

harden, season, toughen
Antonyms of weaken

beef (up), fortify, strengthen
2 to lose bodily strength or vigor
  • The bodybuilder weakened once she eased off on her workouts.
Synonyms of weaken

decay, droop, emaciate, fade, fail, flag, go, lag, languish, sag, sink, waste (away), wilt, wither
Words Related to weaken

break down, wear out

yield

degenerate, deteriorate, rot, run down
Near Antonyms of weaken

convalesce, rally, rebound, recover, recuperate

gain
3 to alter (something) for the worse with the addition of foreign or lower-grade substances
  • weakened the juice with too much water
Synonyms of weaken

adulterate, cut, dilute, extend, lace, sophisticate, thin, water down
Words Related to weaken

load

befoul, contaminate, corrupt, defile, dirty, envenom, foul, infect, poison, pollute, soil, spoil, sully, taint

cheapen, debase, degrade

manipulate, misrepresent, tamper (with)

counterfeit, fake, falsify, fudge

doctor, spike

attenuate, moderate, qualify, temper
Near Antonyms of weaken

fertilize, lard

augment, reinforce (also reenforce), supplement

decontaminate, purify

clarify, clean, cleanse, distill (also distil), filter, flush, leach, pasteurize, purge, refine

better, enhance, improve

compact, concentrate, condense
Antonyms of weaken

enrich, fortify, richen, strengthen

Synonym Discussion of weaken

weaken, enfeeble, debilitate, undermine, sap, cripple, disable mean to lose or cause to lose strength or vigor. weaken may imply loss of physical strength, health, soundness, or stability or of quality, intensity, or effective power.
    • a disease that weakens the body's defenses
enfeeble implies a condition of marked weakness and helplessness.
    • enfeebled by starvation
debilitate suggests a less marked or more temporary impairment of strength or vitality.
    • the debilitating effects of surgery
undermine and sap suggest a weakening by something working surreptitiously and insidiously.
    • a poor diet undermines your health
    • drugs had sapped his ability to think
cripple implies causing a serious loss of functioning power through damaging or removing an essential part or element.
    • crippled by arthritis
disable suggests bringing about impairment or limitation in a physical or mental ability.
    • disabled by an injury sustained at work

Learn More about weaken

  1. See words that rhyme with weaken Dictionary: Definition of weaken Spanish Central: Translation of weaken Nglish: Translation of weaken for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of weaken for Arabic speakers

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