WEAKEN Synonyms: 134 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'weaken' distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of weaken are cripple , debilitate , disable , enfeeble , sap , and undermine . While all these words 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

Q: When would 'cripple' be a good substitute for 'weaken'?

While in some cases nearly identical to weaken , cripple implies causing a serious loss of functioning power through damaging or removing an essential part or element. // crippled by arthritis

Q: Where would 'debilitate' be a reasonable alternative to 'weaken'?

The words debilitate and weaken can be used in similar contexts, but debilitate suggests a less marked or more temporary impairment of strength or vitality. // the debilitating effects of surgery

Q: When could 'disable' be used to replace 'weaken'?

While the synonyms disable and weaken are close in meaning, disable suggests bringing about impairment or limitation in a physical or mental ability. // disabled by an injury sustained at work

Q: When might 'enfeeble' be a better fit than 'weaken'?

The synonyms enfeeble and weaken are sometimes interchangeable, but enfeeble implies a condition of marked weakness and helplessness. // enfeebled by starvation

Q: How are the words 'undermine' and 'sap' related as synonyms of 'weaken'?

Both 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

weaken

verb

ˈwē-kən

Definition of weaken

as in to soften

to diminish the physical strength of weeks of hardship in the desert had greatly weakened them

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to fade

to lose bodily strength or vigor the bodybuilder weakened once she eased off on her workouts

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to dilute

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word weaken distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of weaken are cripple, debilitate, disable, enfeeble, sap, and undermine. While all these words 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

When would cripple be a good substitute for weaken?

While in some cases nearly identical to weaken, cripple implies causing a serious loss of functioning power through damaging or removing an essential part or element.

crippled by arthritis

Where would debilitate be a reasonable alternative to weaken?

The words debilitate and weaken can be used in similar contexts, but debilitate suggests a less marked or more temporary impairment of strength or vitality.

the debilitating effects of surgery

When could disable be used to replace weaken?

While the synonyms disable and weaken are close in meaning, disable suggests bringing about impairment or limitation in a physical or mental ability.

disabled by an injury sustained at work

When might enfeeble be a better fit than weaken?

The synonyms enfeeble and weaken are sometimes interchangeable, but enfeeble implies a condition of marked weakness and helplessness.

enfeebled by starvation

How are the words undermine and sap related as synonyms of weaken?

Both 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

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 weaken El Niño weakens the tropical trade winds, influencing the jet stream — the high-altitude river of air that helps steer storms, fronts, and areas of high and low pressure across the country. — Callie Zanandrie, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026 Long-term exposure can damage the kidneys and weaken bones, although the health risks depend on how the metal enters the body. — Bilin Lin, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026 Wind speeds were expected in the 50 to 70 mph range through early afternoon Friday before gradually weakening. — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026 More fundamentally, attempts to weaken the axis misunderstand what holds it together. — Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Foreign Affairs, 16 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for weaken

Recent Examples of Synonyms for weaken

Verb

While many Democrats have ardently defended transgender rights, particularly in California, others in the party have sided with Republicans or softened their support.

— Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026
In the late 1970s, Giorgio Armani stripped the structure out of the traditional suit, softening its shoulders and loosening its trousers.

— John Vorwald, Robb Report, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of soften

Verb

The film is set in Lucknow as the age of the nawabs (Muslim nobles) fades.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026
But that boom eventually faded, overwhelmed by larger forces including the rise of the regulatory state and increasingly generous government bailouts.

— RUCHIR SHARMA, Foreign Affairs, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of fade

Verb

That’s not unusual — industries typically ask for a seat at the table, the better to steer discussions to their benefit and dilute any resulting rules.

— Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
Some French youths, like Lise, are concerned that all the talk about politics or references to the past take away from the present, and dilute the focus of student demands.

— Colette Davidson, Christian Science Monitor, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of dilute

Verb

Monday's attack came a day after a Russian drone struck the village of Pisochyn in the Kharkiv district, killing three people and injuring nine others, including children, according to the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 13 Oct. 2026
The script was about a last draft-pick NFL player who gets injured on his very first play and returns home to Alaska to become a fisherman.

— Aaron Couch, HollywoodReporter, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of injure

Verb

His thighs and sagging belly wrap tightly around the man’s head; his hands clutch at a long golf club and the scales of justice.

— Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2026
The BoMar Club has received just under thirty thousand dollars from the opioid settlement, to fix its roof and bolster outreach efforts, and Coleman was petitioning the commission for more money to redo the floor, which sagged under our feet.

— Oliver Whang, New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of sag

Verb

These viruses infect diverse deep-sea prokaryotes that drive vital cycles of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, and metals.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 14 Oct. 2026
Eventually, the capability could enable computer worms, which propagate without requiring human interaction and are capable of infecting unfamiliar IoT devices.

— Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of infect

Verb

If Democrats take both the House and Senate next year, Hegseth could get a debilitating trial in the upper chamber.

— Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 9 Oct. 2026
Emily's Entourage For the vast majority of cystic fibrosis patients, new drugs have been life-changing, transforming a debilitating lung disease into a manageable condition.

— Gerry Smith, CNBC, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of debilitate

Verb

Since then, multiple efforts to phase out or ban horse carriages have failed.

— Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 14 Oct. 2026
The exchange of threats comes as Saudi Arabia investigates why its air defenses failed to intercept a barrage of missiles and drones fired by the Houthis.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of fail

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weaken

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

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Synonyms of weaken

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