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

By Wednesday next week, the moisture plume from the weakening storm will arrive in Arizona and New Mexico with the potential for flash floods and lingering tropical showers throughout the desert. — Sean MacAday, Sacbee.com, 23 Sep. 2026

The first sign that El Niño is developing is a weakening, or even reversal, of the tropical Pacific trade winds. — Steven Paton, The Conversation, 10 Sep. 2026

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

Verb

Deterioration is exacerbated if water reaches the steel rebar, corroding from inside the concrete mass and thereby weakening the integrity of the wall. — Jeffrey Weiss, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026

Those states’ experiences show that weakening graduation requirements reduces accountability for schools. — Neetu Arnold, Washington Post, 30 Sep. 2026

Scenario planning, leading indicators and explicit operating metrics can help management determine whether the structural thesis is strengthening or weakening over time. — Erik Clarke, Forbes.com, 29 Sep. 2026

Forecast models show the remnants of weakening Hurricane Polo moving toward the New Mexico-Texas border on Tuesday, before surging northeast into portions of the Southern and Central Plains. — Kansas City Star, 28 Sep. 2026

The administration's initiatives risk weakening food safety protections. — Stephanie Armour, CBS News, 28 Sep. 2026

The administration’s initiatives risk weakening food safety protections. — Stephanie Armour, Miami Herald, 28 Sep. 2026

The nor'easter is weakening and drifting on Monday slowly northeast from Long Island, New York, to Massachusetts, into the Gulf of Maine by Tuesday. — Kenton Gewecke, ABC News, 28 Sep. 2026

Already, many import-dependent countries face shortages, fiscal pressure, and in some cases a difficult choice between cutting fuel subsidies and risking unrest or maintaining them and further weakening public finances. — Richard Haass, Foreign Affairs, 23 Sep. 2026