debilitate

verb

de·​bil·​i·​tate di-ˈbi-lə-ˌtāt How to pronounce debilitate (audio)
dē-
debilitated; debilitating

transitive verb

: to impair the strength of : enfeeble
sailors debilitated by scurvy
an economy debilitated by years of civil war
debilitation noun

Did you know?

Debilitate, enfeeble, undermine, and sap all share the general sense "to weaken." But while debilitate holds the distinction among these words of coming from the Latin word for "weak"—debilis—it packs a potent punch. Often used of disease or something that strikes like a disease or illness, debilitate might suggest a temporary impairment—but a pervasive one at that. Enfeeble, a very close synonym of debilitate, connotes a pitiable, but often reversible, condition of weakness and helplessness. Undermine and sap suggest a weakening by something working surreptitiously and insidiously.

Choose the Right Synonym for debilitate

weaken, enfeeble, debilitate, undermine, sap, disable 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

enfeeble implies a condition of marked weakness and helplessness.

enfeebled by starvation

debilitate suggests a less marked or more temporary impairment of strength or vitality.

the debilitating effects of surgery

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

disable suggests bringing about impairment or limitation in a physical or mental ability.

disabled by an injury sustained at work

Examples of debilitate in a Sentence

The virus debilitates the body's immune system. the heart surgery debilitated the college athlete beyond his worst fears
Recent Examples on the Web García Márquez spent much of the last decade of his life with debilitating dementia — an ironic cruelty for a master of chronicling memories, said his eldest son. Carrie Kahn, NPR, 6 Mar. 2024 Related article Gene that protected humans 5,000 years ago may be linked to debilitating modern disease The shower of radiation as cosmic rays interact with the atmosphere can penetrate rock, creating cosmogenic nuclides, or isotopes. Katie Hunt, CNN, 6 Mar. 2024 But his reputation and career took a debilitating hit when the International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) falsely accused him of using performance-enhancing drugs, costing him the 1992 Olympic Games. Addie Morfoot, Variety, 14 Mar. 2024 This means that many of the study participants have progressed from having severe, debilitating CVI, to a much more mild form of the disease, or no disease at all. Charlotte Observer, 6 Mar. 2024 After testing revealed his tumor in 2013, Alvarez became determined to fast-track his creative career while postponing any surgical procedure for fear of debilitating side effects, like problems speaking or walking. Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 5 Mar. 2024 In 2014, a case of bronchitis left Stella, a therapist who lives in the Chicago area, with debilitating fatigue. Will Stone, NPR, 23 Feb. 2024 Many with long COVID have been left with debilitating conditions with no benefits yet seen from hundreds of millions of tax dollars poured into understanding and treating the chronic disease. USA TODAY, 27 Feb. 2024 The article also includes an interview with young woman who lost her eye and suffers debilitating injuries from a defective air bag following a fender-bender in a 2007 Mustang. Detroit Free Press, 26 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'debilitate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin debilitatus, past participle of debilitare to weaken, from debilis weak

First Known Use

1533, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of debilitate was in 1533

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Dictionary Entries Near debilitate

Cite this Entry

“Debilitate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/debilitate. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

debilitate

verb
de·​bil·​i·​tate di-ˈbil-ə-ˌtāt How to pronounce debilitate (audio)
debilitated; debilitating
: to reduce the strength of : weaken
debilitation noun

Medical Definition

debilitate

transitive verb
de·​bil·​i·​tate di-ˈbil-ə-ˌtāt How to pronounce debilitate (audio)
debilitated; debilitating
: to impair the strength of
a body debilitated by disease
debilitation noun

More from Merriam-Webster on debilitate

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