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

Parkinson's is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the weakening of nerve cells, which become damaged and die, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. — Mason Leib, ABC News, 30 July 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

Gradual weakening is expected over the next several days, forecasters said. — Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 22 July 2026

The book argues that democracies erode through the backsliding of democratic ideals like mutual tolerance, along with legal processes like the weakening of independent courts. — Nollyanne Delacruz, Mercury News, 21 July 2026

Marcel Thieliant, head of Asia-Pacific at Capital Economics said the strength in export values is almost entirely a result of soaring export prices, which reflects both the weakening of the yen as well as soaring prices of memory chips. — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 21 July 2026

Numbers released by the company behind Gatorade and Doritos showed weakening trends in its North American food and drinks businesses. — Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026

Spongy or uneven surfaces are caused by structural weakening from internal damage. — Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 July 2026

Press freedoms across Africa are already fragile, with most nations ranking in the lower half of an influential press freedoms index, while numerous recent coups have contributed to a weakening of democratic norms in parts of the continent. — Jenny Vaughan, semafor.com, 29 June 2026

Verb

Israelis across political and religious lines are worried about the weakening connection with younger Jewish Americans — who, according to a recent AP poll, tend to consider support for Israel less crucial to their Jewish identity than older adults. — Giovanna Dell'orto, Fortune, 31 July 2026

Today, some civil-society leaders, and even figures inside the establishment itself, fret that the regime’s heavy domestic hand is not only hurting Iranians but also weakening the country’s war effort. — Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026

Most of the rain will occur Saturday night and Sunday as a weakening surface low and its associated frontal boundaries move toward our region. — Trey Fulbright, CBS News, 30 July 2026

Many will require a strict diet because their owners would often have fed them the wrong food, weakening an animal's immune system and causing physical deterioration. — ABC News, 29 July 2026

Delay signals that American commitments can be traded away in negotiations with Beijing, weakening Washington’s word far beyond a single deal. — Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026

Additional strengthening is possible today before the storm begins weakening later this week. — Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 21 July 2026