debilitate
verb /dɪˈbɪlɪteɪt/
/dɪˈbɪlɪteɪt/
(formal)Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they debilitate | /dɪˈbɪlɪteɪt/ /dɪˈbɪlɪteɪt/ |
| he / she / it debilitates | /dɪˈbɪlɪteɪts/ /dɪˈbɪlɪteɪts/ |
| past simple debilitated | /dɪˈbɪlɪteɪtɪd/ /dɪˈbɪlɪteɪtɪd/ |
| past participle debilitated | /dɪˈbɪlɪteɪtɪd/ /dɪˈbɪlɪteɪtɪd/ |
| -ing form debilitating | /dɪˈbɪlɪteɪtɪŋ/ /dɪˈbɪlɪteɪtɪŋ/ |
- debilitate somebody/something to make somebody’s body or mind weaker
- The troops were severely debilitated by hunger and disease.
- debilitate something to make a country, an organization, etc. weaker
- Prolonged strike action debilitated the industry.
Word Originmid 16th cent.: from Latin debilitat- ‘weakened’, from the verb debilitare, from debilitas, from debilis ‘weak’.