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
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Recent Examples of debilitate
Sophie Hartley, Scientific American, 10 Jan. 2025
Expectations of access have grown debilitating, so have the ramifications of such access.
—Marcus Thompson Ii, The Athletic, 8 Jan. 2025
With the grounding of Boeing’s 737 MAX and the company being under direct FAA scrutiny, demand outweighing supply, and debilitating labor shortages, the industry fell from its record highs to new lows.
—Alex Krutz, Forbes, 8 Jan. 2025
Patients like Cerulli will often have symptoms like debilitating back pain and stiffness that worsen with rest.
—Brittany Risher, SELF, 8 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for debilitate 
Verb
Some researchers fear that CWD could permanently debilitate deer herds across the U.S.
Thus far, humans have been spared.
—Sophie Hartley, Scientific American, 10 Jan. 2025
Expectations of access have grown debilitating, so have the ramifications of such access.
—Marcus Thompson Ii, The Athletic, 8 Jan. 2025
With the grounding of Boeing’s 737 MAX and the company being under direct FAA scrutiny, demand outweighing supply, and debilitating labor shortages, the industry fell from its record highs to new lows.
—Alex Krutz, Forbes, 8 Jan. 2025
Patients like Cerulli will often have symptoms like debilitating back pain and stiffness that worsen with rest.
—Brittany Risher, SELF, 8 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for debilitate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debilitate
Verb
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With rising conflicts and weakened diplomacy, the global order is set to fragment in 2025, intensifying economic volatility.—
Sarwant Singh,
Forbes,
22 Jan. 2025
-
Beijing has also been working to repair ties with American allies like Japan to try to weaken the security alliances forged by the Biden administration to constrain China.—
David Pierson,
New York Times,
22 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Based on the deterioration of the relationship, a trade — as soon as possible — would appear the preferred alternative, particularly with this latest two-game suspension to otherwise put Butler back in play for the Heat as soon as Monday night’s game against the Orlando Magic at Kaseya Center.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
23 Jan. 2025
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For women, especially, working could, therefore, be dangerous for them physically and could lead to the deterioration of their health: a result that could adversely affect their roles as mothers and their subsequent responsibility to raise future generations, especially boys.—
Eva Epker,
Forbes,
21 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Symptoms include fatigue, difficulty with balance, neuropathic pain, and muscle weakness.—
Cindy Krischer Goodman,
Sun Sentinel,
28 Jan. 2025
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Promoting school choice is fundamentally about promoting the broadest array of options possible, because, as everyone knows, kids are different, with different needs, interests, strengths and weaknesses.—
The Editorial Board,
Orange County Register,
28 Jan. 2025
Verb
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In people who give birth, this joint softens and becomes extra flexible.—
Bethany Brookshire,
Scientific American,
25 Jan. 2025
-
Soaking beans eight hours or overnight naturally softens and tenderizes beans to help the sugars break down when cooking.—
Catherine Jessee,
Southern Living,
24 Jan. 2025
Noun
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This breeds feelings of frustration and emotional exhaustion.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes,
25 Jan. 2025
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Where there is affection, there is also exhaustion.—
Lisa Kennedy,
Variety,
23 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The shadow of death and debility haunted American women throughout the nineteenth century.—
Jenny Noyce,
JSTOR Daily,
28 June 2024
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According to this view, the outside world has been generous to Africa, providing substantial aid in recent decades, leaving no excuse for the continent’s debility.—
Howard W. French,
Foreign Affairs,
16 June 2015
Noun
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That number could be hard to match as KC fatigue builds, but Kansas City did just set the AFC title game viewership high mark at 57.4 million on Sunday.—
Jacob Feldman,
Sportico.com,
30 Jan. 2025
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Investigators found that pilot fatigue during icing conditions contributed to the accident.—
Matt Leclercq,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
30 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near debilitate
Cite this Entry
“Debilitate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debilitate. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.
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