1
as in thinned
containing foreign or lower-grade substances
the pharmacist, motivated by pure greed, would pass off the weakened drugs to unsuspecting customers, some of whom had life-threatening illnesses
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in weak
lacking bodily strength
left weakened by a prolonged illness
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in soft
lacking strength of will or character
the nation's people, weakened by years of tyranny, tended to automatically obey anyone with an authoritative manner
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in thin
not containing very much of some important element
some experts recommend that runners drink a weakened mixture of juice and water
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in softened
to diminish the physical strength of
weeks of hardship in the desert had greatly weakened them
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in faded
to lose bodily strength or vigor
the bodybuilder weakened once she eased off on her workouts
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in diluted
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
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 weakened
Angelique Brenes, PEOPLE, 5 June 2026
While most healthy people can recover in four to seven days without treatment, some vulnerable people, such as children under 5, adults 65 and older and those with weakened immune systems, may experience more severe illness that requires medical treatment or hospitalization.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 2 June 2026
Rotavirus can also sicken older children and adults with weakened immune systems.
—Hali Smith
june 1, Idaho Statesman, 1 June 2026
After a heart attack or other cardiovascular insult, hearts can’t regenerate weakened muscles, leaving them less able to pump blood throughout the body.
—Elizabeth Cooney, STAT, 27 May 2026
Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, elderly people, and those with weakened immune systems.
—Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 27 May 2026
Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal illness in young children, elderly people or people with weakened immune systems.
—Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2026
Older children and adults with weakened immune systems also are vulnerable.
—Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 27 May 2026
Much of the landscape damage from previous storms has been from older weakened trees.
—Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 May 2026
William Pesek, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
Over the course of two summers, the Kings weakened the fulcrum of their roster by losing Matt Roy and Vladislav Gavrikov in free agency, then exacerbating matters by casting off Jordan Spence for a modest return.
—Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 9 June 2026
This has significantly weakened the Indian rupee against the dollar at a time when global oil prices are rising, creating a treacherous situation for India, which imports more 85% of its crude requirements.
—Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 9 June 2026
The soil underneath grass becomes compacted, stressed, and weakened under foot traffic, making way for clover to take over.
—David Beaulieu, The Spruce, 6 June 2026
Because chemotherapy had severely weakened his immune system, the infection quickly became life-threatening.
—Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 5 June 2026
Rosenfeld, a hematologist who worked in research and hospital administration at the NIH and its Clinical Center for two decades, acknowledges the importance of academic freedom, but the consequence of those decisions weakened the agency’s oversight powers.
—Megan Molteni, STAT, 5 June 2026
That's because some jurisdictions weakened their public health authorities in response to criticism of lockdowns, school closures, mask mandates, vaccine requirements and other COVID-era restrictions.
—Rob Stein, NPR, 4 June 2026
Even after he was discharged, his heart remained weakened.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 3 June 2026
Adjective
Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections, particularly in young children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems.
—Angelique Brenes, PEOPLE, 5 June 2026
While most healthy people can recover in four to seven days without treatment, some vulnerable people, such as children under 5, adults 65 and older and those with weakened immune systems, may experience more severe illness that requires medical treatment or hospitalization.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 2 June 2026
Rotavirus can also sicken older children and adults with weakened immune systems.
—Hali Smith
june 1, Idaho Statesman, 1 June 2026
After a heart attack or other cardiovascular insult, hearts can’t regenerate weakened muscles, leaving them less able to pump blood throughout the body.
—Elizabeth Cooney, STAT, 27 May 2026
Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, elderly people, and those with weakened immune systems.
—Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 27 May 2026
Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal illness in young children, elderly people or people with weakened immune systems.
—Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2026
Older children and adults with weakened immune systems also are vulnerable.
—Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 27 May 2026
Much of the landscape damage from previous storms has been from older weakened trees.
—Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 May 2026
Verb
Since taking office in October 2024, President Prabowo Subianto has weakened the institutional guardrails that once constrained fiscal expansion and protected central‑bank independence.
—William Pesek, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
Over the course of two summers, the Kings weakened the fulcrum of their roster by losing Matt Roy and Vladislav Gavrikov in free agency, then exacerbating matters by casting off Jordan Spence for a modest return.
—Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 9 June 2026
This has significantly weakened the Indian rupee against the dollar at a time when global oil prices are rising, creating a treacherous situation for India, which imports more 85% of its crude requirements.
—Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 9 June 2026
The soil underneath grass becomes compacted, stressed, and weakened under foot traffic, making way for clover to take over.
—David Beaulieu, The Spruce, 6 June 2026
Because chemotherapy had severely weakened his immune system, the infection quickly became life-threatening.
—Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 5 June 2026
Rosenfeld, a hematologist who worked in research and hospital administration at the NIH and its Clinical Center for two decades, acknowledges the importance of academic freedom, but the consequence of those decisions weakened the agency’s oversight powers.
—Megan Molteni, STAT, 5 June 2026
That's because some jurisdictions weakened their public health authorities in response to criticism of lockdowns, school closures, mask mandates, vaccine requirements and other COVID-era restrictions.
—Rob Stein, NPR, 4 June 2026
Even after he was discharged, his heart remained weakened.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 3 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for weakened
Adjective
-
The measure was a face-off between supporters who said the community needed more housing and opponents who raised concerns about traffic, wildlife and polluted groundwater from a nearby former landfill.—
Paul Rogers,
Mercury News,
9 June 2026
-
The purifiers are part of the county’s effort to provide temporary relief to South Bay residents exposed to hydrogen sulfide from the polluted waterway while the United States and Mexico work to address infrastructure failures at a transboundary wastewater treatment facility.—
Walker Armstrong,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 June 2026
Adjective
-
But his father contracted pneumonia in 2011, and after two decades in prison, his body was too weak to fight it.—
Yumi Asada,
CNN Money,
13 June 2026
-
That gap is where signal blindness, misalignment, bottlenecks, execution delays and weak learning loops quietly convert external change into our fragilities.—
Christopher Washington,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
Adjective
-
The worst place at a factory to work for was always the screen-printing department—the hot metal and lacquer thinner produce pungent toxins that workers have no choice but to inhale.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 June 2026
-
While knee-high boots are ideal for a concert or a shopping day, don’t be afraid to go casual via thin sneakers or flip-flops.—
India Roby,
Glamour,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
But after discussions with business owners, Lucas softened his stance.—
Katelyn Umholtz,
Kansas City Star,
11 June 2026
-
Models moved through the room as guests held martinis and champagne cocktails, the old banking-room architecture softened by greenery, music and the glow of a crowd that had clearly understood the brief.—
Noel Burgess,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
As those temporary surpluses faded, homelessness spending fell sharply.—
Benjamin F. Henwood,
The Conversation,
10 June 2026
-
As Broadway star Avery Wilson sang the National Anthem, the camera faded to a shot of Trump saluting the flag, and MSG erupted into boos.—
Jack Dunn,
Variety,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
In light of the ruling, a federal appeals court is allowing Alabama to use a state Senate map approved by Republican lawmakers in this year's election instead of one imposed by a federal judge who found the state had diluted the voting power of Black residents.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 June 2026
-
Once that language is diluted by objectives other than measuring income and production, economic debates become less coherent and public decision-making less reliable.—
James Broughel,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
Adjective
-
But dwarf galaxies are smaller and colder, with more dilute and slower-moving matter.—
Paul M. Sutter,
Scientific American,
6 May 2026
-
Second, a dilute hydrochloric acid is used to dissolve the remaining lithium and the transition metals—nickel, cobalt, and manganese.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Osa Odighizuwa won’t ever be confused for Garrett, but the 49ers are convinced their feeble pass rush will improve thanks to Odighizuwa’s interior work.—
Cam Inman,
Mercury News,
9 June 2026
-
The Rock People were a feeble attempt to cash in on the shapeshifting craze, as Stonedar, Rokkon, and Granita (the latter never immortalized as an action figure) could turn themselves into… er, meteors.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
4 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Weakened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/weakened. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
