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 Kitty Block, president and CEO of Humane World for Animals, said removing or weakening federal protections would jeopardize decades of conservation work. — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2026 But challengers emerged and weakened its quest for dominance, often with different models ostensibly tailored to be more local. — Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 4 Sep. 2026 Lowell, which could target Hawaii this weekend, reached Category 5 strength Wednesday and has since weakened to Category 3. — Denise Chow, NBC news, 4 Sep. 2026 JPMorgan still expects the yen to weaken to around 160 against the dollar, as Japanese authorities seek to maintain currency stability while the BOJ continues to raise rates. — Sean Conlon,lee Ying Shan,ananya Chetia,chloe Taylor, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for weaken

Recent Examples of Synonyms for weaken

Verb

Talanx German insurer Talanx 's lean cost base and 6 billion euros of resilience reserves can help sustain earnings growth, even as pricing softens in its reinsurance and corporate-specialty units, according to Goldman.

— Hugh Leask, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026
Instead of guessing the right prompt keywords, a user can simply instruct the model to track the camera left, soften the lighting or maintain a character's expression across different scenes.

— Coco Mao, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of soften

Verb

As his memories begin to fade, he's left in a panic, not wanting to lose everything.

— Grace Dean, Space.com, 1 Sep. 2026
It was designed to give Hawthorne’s fading downtown a boost with three major department stores — JCPenney in addition to the Broadway and Montgomery Ward — as well as numerous shops and a movie theater.

— Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of fade

Verb

Some of the old guard accused Kılıçdaroğlu of diluting the party’s values.

— Nick TaborAll, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Sep. 2026
The shift to apps deepened, rather than diluted, the customer relationship, unlocking always-on engagement, rich first-party data and a far faster cycle of product innovation.

— Dana Dunne, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of dilute

Verb

If your couch cushions are sagging and the springs are worn, use this 62%-off sofa deal as an excuse to upgrade ahead of hosting season.

— Better Homes & Gardens, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Sep. 2026
Well-hydrated skin tends to look plumper and smoother, which makes fine lines, wrinkles, and sagging less noticeable.

— Jenny Berg, Vogue, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of sag

Verb

One event occurred in 2015 when the mercenary hacker collective Hacking Team used one against a target it had been contracted to infect.

— Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 2 Sep. 2026
Strong dosages of antimicrobial drugs and aggressive management of brain swelling can help treat someone who has become infected.

— Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of infect

Verb

Conditions such as depression, asthma, and chronic pain may not qualify someone from Medicaid automatically, but experts point out that these conditions can be debilitating on some days, even if people can function on others.

— Abdullah Shihipar, STAT, 1 Sep. 2026
Sleep disruptions are one of the most common — and debilitating — symptoms of perimenopause, taking a major toll on women’s health and wellbeing.

— Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of debilitate

Verb

Golden and Gluesenkamp Perez provided the margin to prevent a tie, which under House rules is the same as a measure failing outright.

— Hailey Bullis, The Washington Examiner, 2 Sep. 2026
Multiple attempts at negotiating with Lille remotely had failed to bring about a club-to-club agreement.

— Chris Waugh, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of fail

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“Weaken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/weaken. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.

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