weakenverb [ I or T ]
uk/ˈwiː.kən/us/ˈwiː.kən/C1 to (cause to) become less strong, powerful, determined, or effective:
You could see the poor dog weakening daily as the disease spread through its body.
The bill would seriously weaken environmental protections.
We know that prolonged exposure to vibration can weaken aircraft components.
She's weakening - ask her some more questions and see if she confesses.
More examples
- In his journal, Captain Scott recorded that he and his companions were weakened by lack of food.
- Is TV responsible for weakening people's moral fibre?
- The latest setbacks have not weakened the government's resolve.
- The fire weakened the central tower, which eventually collapsed.
- This evidence weakens the case for the prosecution.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Becoming and making less strong
- abate
- adulterate
- attenuate
- attrition
- blow over
- blunt
- deflate
- dial
- dim
- emasculate
- flagging
- jelly
- keep sb down
- knock/take the stuffing out of sb/sth idiom
- muffle
- neutralize
- pine
- sag
- shake
- wither on the vine idiom
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