Synonyms of weakening

weakening 1 of 3

noun

as in deterioration

a gradual sinking and wasting away of mind or body

the all-too-apparent weakening of our grandfather was hard on our mother

Synonyms & Similar Words

• deterioration
• decay
• decline
• decaying
• degeneration
• debilitation
• exhaustion
• enfeeblement
• ebbing
• declension
• atrophy
• descent
• flagging
• drooping
• regression
• setback
• relapse
• limping

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• improvement
• recovery
• rehabilitation
• strengthening
• revitalization
• recuperation
• rally
• comeback
• progress
• snapback
• invigoration
• rejuvenation
• rejuvenescence

weakening

2 of 3

adjective

as in draining

Related Words

• draining
• debilitating
• deadening
• sapping
• injurious
• deleterious
• pernicious
• enfeebling
• exhausting
• enervating
• numbing
• wearying
• unhealthful
• unhealthy
• unwholesome
• noxious
• insalubrious

Dissimilar Words

• vital
• stimulating
• reviving
• bracing
• refreshing
• tonic
• cordial
• restorative
• stimulative
• rejuvenating
• vitalizing
• strengthening
• invigorating
• conditioning
• life-giving

weakening

3 of 3

verb

present participle of weaken

1

as in softening

to diminish the physical strength of

weeks of hardship in the desert had greatly weakened them

Synonyms & Similar Words

• softening
• wasting
• sapping
• damaging
• tiring
• hurting
• injuring
• debilitating
• exhausting
• enfeebling
• paralyzing
• crippling
• enervating
• impairing
• depleting
• devitalizing
• disabling
• harming
• prostrating
• depressing
• etiolating
• incapacitating
• impoverishing
• hamstringing
• grinding (down)
• invaliding
• laying up
• wearing out
• washing out
• unmanning
• wearing down
• breaking down

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• strengthening
• fortifying
• recruiting
• energizing
• invigorating
• hardening
• beefing (up)
• rejuvenating
• vitalizing
• seasoning
• toughening

2

as in fading

to lose bodily strength or vigor

the bodybuilder weakened once she eased off on her workouts

Synonyms & Similar Words

• fading
• sagging
• failing
• going
• sinking
• deteriorating
• decaying
• drooping
• lagging
• flagging
• withering
• wilting
• languishing
• wasting (away)
• emaciating
• rotting
• degenerating
• yielding
• wearing out
• breaking down
• running down

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• recovering
• rallying
• gaining
• recuperating
• rebounding
• convalescing

3

as in diluting

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

• diluting
• thinning
• cutting
• infecting
• loading
• poisoning
• polluting
• manipulating
• extending
• spoiling
• adulterating
• dirtying
• degrading
• tainting
• contaminating
• sophisticating
• corrupting
• lacing
• watering down
• soiling
• debasing
• cheapening
• misrepresenting
• tempering
• defiling
• fouling
• counterfeiting
• attenuating
• sullying
• falsifying
• spiking
• moderating
• tampering (with)
• befouling
• qualifying
• faking
• envenoming
• doctoring
• fudging

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• strengthening
• reinforcing
• enriching
• fortifying
• augmenting
• fertilizing
• supplementing
• improving
• purifying
• cleaning
• enhancing
• richening
• clarifying
• refining
• filtering
• cleansing
• purging
• flushing
• leaching
• larding
• distilling
• bettering
• pasteurizing
• concentrating
• decontaminating
• condensing
• compacting

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of weakening

Noun

Maximum sustained winds have decreased to around 65 mph with higher gusts, and gradual weakening is forecast during the next few days, according to the hurricane center. — Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026

In an interview with CNBC on the sidelines of the G20 meeting, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Washington wouldn't object if Tokyo intervened to support a weakening yen. — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026

Forecasters said Lala would cross the waters of the marine national monument for a few days at hurricane strength despite some gradual weakening. — ABC News, 20 Aug. 2026

In 2024, the Fed acted decisively to get ahead of a weakening in the labor market, delivering a bold, half-point rate cut. — Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026

Bain said this exodus has mostly been driven by soaring prices and a weakening value proposition. — George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 13 Aug. 2026

In May, Republicans again redrew the map in response to the Supreme Court’s weakening of the federal Voting Rights Act. — Daniel S. Levine, PEOPLE, 7 Aug. 2026

After a dismal two years of weakening demand, falling sales, and damage to its brand by Elon Musk’s political activities, Tesla’s road to recovery continues apace. — Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 22 July 2026

Verb

Rising operational and financing costs, weakening global demand and shifting trade dynamics ultimately led the board of directors to discontinue operations, the company said. — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 11 Sep. 2026

An effective Houthi blockade of Bab al-Mandeb would open a new front in the war with Iran and could require US military intervention, potentially weakening Washington’s ability to keep ships moving through Hormuz. — Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2026

The discovery, in conjunction with data from the Dark Energy Survey (DES), backs results revealed from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) published in 2024 that suggested dark energy's influence is weakening. — Robert Lea, Space.com, 10 Sep. 2026

The business diversification comes as slowing growth and weakening profitability put pressure on China's EV makers. — Jenny Lee,evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 9 Sep. 2026

The National Hurricane Center said in its latest advisory that Lowell is weakening and moving away from the Hawaiian Islands. — Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026

Clarity delivered with genuine respect sharpens leadership rather than weakening it. — Vaishali Dev, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2026

The administration took more than 300 federal actions in its first year aimed at weakening or eliminating climate-mitigation and adaptation measures, according to Columbia Law School’s Sabin Center for Climate Change Law. — Caitlin Looby, jsonline.com, 9 Sep. 2026

If superconductivity in magic-angle graphene were primarily driven by phonons, or vibrations of the atomic lattice, weakening Coulomb interactions would be expected to leave the effect largely unchanged or even strengthen it slightly. — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2026