debilitate
verb
de·bil·i·tate di-ˈbi-lə-ˌtāt 
dē-
debilitated; debilitating
transitive verb
: to impair the strength of : enfeeble
sailors debilitated by scurvy
an economy debilitated by years of civil war
debilitation
di-ˌbi-lə-ˈtā-shən
noun dē-
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.
Synonyms
- devitalize
- enervate
- enfeeble
- etiolate
- prostrate
- sap
- soften
- tire
- waste
- weaken
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
The virus debilitates the body's immune system. the heart surgery debilitated the college athlete beyond his worst fears
Recent Examples on the Web Taking out the leadership of the railway would debilitate the nation’s primary transportation network and, therefore, the entire country. 
Franklin Foer, The Atlantic, 8 Sep. 2022 This Investigation Discovery show will delight true crime fanatics but may debilitate those with trust issues. Briana Richert, EW.com, 11 July 2022 Burnout, if left unattended, can debilitate our mental, physical and emotional health. J. Gerald Suarez, USA TODAY, 15 June 2022 The ministry said Moscow could be expected to continue bombarding the region from the air to debilitate Ukrainian air defenses as Russia builds up forces on the ground. New York Times, 21 Apr. 2022 Chinese defense officials say the SJ-21 is meant to dispose of space debris, but US Space Command says the same arm can debilitate or disable rival satellites. Khari Johnson, Wired, 15 Mar. 2022 Republicans view the Democrats’ legislative plans as an overreach of excess spending and have accused Mr. Biden of careening from one crisis to another, saying both will debilitate the party’s midterm message next year. Ken Thomas, WSJ, 1 Oct. 2021 The flu does not knock you down and debilitate you like COVID-19. Claire Thornton, USA TODAY, 8 Aug. 2021 The absence of strong copyright laws continues to debilitate Cambodian cinema. BostonGlobe.com, 22 Apr. 2021 See More
Franklin Foer, The Atlantic, 8 Sep. 2022 This Investigation Discovery show will delight true crime fanatics but may debilitate those with trust issues. Briana Richert, EW.com, 11 July 2022 Burnout, if left unattended, can debilitate our mental, physical and emotional health. J. Gerald Suarez, USA TODAY, 15 June 2022 The ministry said Moscow could be expected to continue bombarding the region from the air to debilitate Ukrainian air defenses as Russia builds up forces on the ground. New York Times, 21 Apr. 2022 Chinese defense officials say the SJ-21 is meant to dispose of space debris, but US Space Command says the same arm can debilitate or disable rival satellites. Khari Johnson, Wired, 15 Mar. 2022 Republicans view the Democrats’ legislative plans as an overreach of excess spending and have accused Mr. Biden of careening from one crisis to another, saying both will debilitate the party’s midterm message next year. Ken Thomas, WSJ, 1 Oct. 2021 The flu does not knock you down and debilitate you like COVID-19. Claire Thornton, USA TODAY, 8 Aug. 2021 The absence of strong copyright laws continues to debilitate Cambodian cinema. BostonGlobe.com, 22 Apr. 2021 See More Word History
Etymology
Latin debilitatus, past participle of debilitare to weaken, from debilis weak
First Known Use
1533, in the meaning defined above
Kids Definition
debilitate
verb
de·bil·i·tate di-ˈbi-lə-ˌtāt
debilitated; debilitating
: to make feeble : weaken
a debilitating disease
Medical Definition
debilitate
transitive verb
de·bil·i·tate di-ˈbil-ə-ˌtāt
debilitated; debilitating
: to impair the strength of
a body debilitated by disease
debilitation
noun
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
Relevance
- deterioration
- weakening
- decay
- degeneration
- exhaustion
- decline
- decaying
- enfeeblement
- atrophy
- ebbing
- declension
- descent
- regression
- relapse
- setback
- limping
- drooping
- flagging
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- improvement
- rehabilitation
- recovery
- recuperation
- revitalization
- strengthening
- progress
- comeback
- rally
- invigoration
- rejuvenation
- snapback
- rejuvenescence
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
- weakness
- debility
- exhaustion
- fatigue
- enervation
- enfeeblement
- feebleness
- impairment
- infirmity
- injury
- faintness
- disablement
- languor
- asthenia
- listlessness
- frailty
- fragility
- decay
- lowness
- languidness
- decrepitude
- frailness
- damage
- wimpiness
- breakdown
- prostration
- helplessness
- impotence
- tenderness
- incapacitation
- collapse
- powerlessness
- invalidism
- lassitude
- weariness
- harm
- delicacy
- hurt
- softness
- defenselessness
- impuissance
- effeteness
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- strength
- vigor
- vitality
- hardiness
- energy
- robustness
- virility
- health
- hardihood
- fitness
- muscularity
- toughness
- huskiness
- lustiness
- stoutness
- sturdiness
- brawniness
- hardness
- wellness
- ruggedness
- healthiness
- soundness
- heftiness