SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
debilitate
verb
To weaken strength or the ability to function.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Weaken ability or strength
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topCripple is stronger and can be insensitive when applied to a person; weaken is a neutral alternative.
RELATED FORMS, ONE FEATURED ENTRY
The debilitate family
These forms are closely related, but their grammar and use are not identical. Expand a form to compare its meaning and examples.
debilitatingadjective
Seriously weakening strength or ability.
Seriously weakening
Closest synonyms
Related expressions
The constant interruptions had a debilitating effect on the team's concentration.
A debilitating sequence of missing supplies and unanswered messages sharply reduced the fictional expedition's ability to organize departures.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See debilitate in use
Repeated interruptions can debilitate a carefully organized work routine.
The narrator describes how repeated exhausting sessions begin to debilitate the crew, leaving their movements weaker and less coordinated than earlier in the story.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license