as in to weaken
to diminish the physical strength of
the heart surgery debilitated the college athlete beyond his worst fears
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in deterioration
a gradual sinking and wasting away of mind or body
the debilitation that all the prisoners of war had experienced during their captivity
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in weakness
the quality or state of lacking physical strength or vigor
attributed the patient's general debilitation to an iron deficiency
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 debilitate
John Cassidy, New Yorker, 11 Apr. 2025
And, much like our collagen, the NAD our body naturally produces starts a precipitous decline by our twenties, debilitated by our lifestyle choices and daily stressors (poor diet, not enough exercise, stress, pollution and so on), dipping steadily with age.
—Fiorella Valdesolo, Allure, 2 Apr. 2025
With medical treatment and lost productivity costs of up to $635 billion annually in the United States, pain is expensive as well as debilitating.
—Jessica Dulong, CNN Money, 11 Apr. 2025
This same brain circuit might explain the debilitating apathy that millions of people suffering from various chronic diseases experience.
—Adam Kepecs, The Conversation, 10 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for debilitate
Verb
More recently, Warren has broadened her critique of Trump’s policies to encompass other areas, including trade, taxes, financial regulation, and the debilitating effect of his over-all blitzkrieg.
—John Cassidy, New Yorker, 11 Apr. 2025
And, much like our collagen, the NAD our body naturally produces starts a precipitous decline by our twenties, debilitated by our lifestyle choices and daily stressors (poor diet, not enough exercise, stress, pollution and so on), dipping steadily with age.
—Fiorella Valdesolo, Allure, 2 Apr. 2025
With medical treatment and lost productivity costs of up to $635 billion annually in the United States, pain is expensive as well as debilitating.
—Jessica Dulong, CNN Money, 11 Apr. 2025
This same brain circuit might explain the debilitating apathy that millions of people suffering from various chronic diseases experience.
—Adam Kepecs, The Conversation, 10 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for debilitate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debilitate
Verb
-
The pests set about sucking the sap from grape roots, slowly weakening them and opening wounds that invited disease.—
The Editors,
JSTOR Daily,
28 Apr. 2025
-
As more state legislation is passed that weakens or eliminates longstanding fire and life safety codes, the need for young workers who are trained and passionate about reversing these trends is high.—
Jim Pauley,
Forbes.com,
28 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Submersible visits over the years have shown an increase in its deterioration, with rust and microorganisms eating away at the ship's metal. Dives over more than a decade have shown the ship is falling apart.—
George Petras,
USA Today,
11 Apr. 2025
-
That could mean that rate cuts are pushed off until much later this year or even delayed until next year if that deterioration takes time to materialize.—
Colby Smith,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
During periods of economic weakness when lending activity slows, consumers with high credit scores sometimes can take advantage of attractive offers.—
Russ Wiles,
USA Today,
24 Apr. 2025
-
This move addresses one ongoing weakness with Bluesky: knowing who is real.—
Rob Pegoraro,
PC Magazine,
21 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Grapes are chilled after picking for 24 hours to soften grape skins before whole cluster fermentation.—
Tom Mullen,
Forbes.com,
21 Apr. 2025
-
In a December call, the Pope lobbied Biden to soften death-row sentences for convicts.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
21 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Overtraining can lead to mental exhaustion and burnout.—
Bruce Y. Lee,
Forbes.com,
19 Apr. 2025
-
The specific exhaustion of being a mother By Olga Khazan Subscribe to Listen1.0x 0:009:47 Produced by ElevenLabs and News Over Audio (Noa) using AI narration.—
Olga Khazan,
The Atlantic,
14 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The shadow of death and debility haunted American women throughout the nineteenth century.—
Jenny Noyce,
JSTOR Daily,
28 June 2024
-
President Biden’s troubles — lingering inflation, wars and rumors of wars, his debility — could have benefited any Republican.—
David Harsanyi,
National Review,
25 Jan. 2024
Noun
-
Comic book fatigue, boycotts and even just quality have affected recent releases for Marvel.—
Rosa Escandon,
Forbes.com,
24 Apr. 2025
-
Symptoms include itchy skin and night sweats, as well as abdominal pain, fever, and fatigue.—
Cara Lynn Shultz,
People.com,
23 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Debilitate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debilitate. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share