weaken
Americanverb (used with object)
-
weakens,
present (3rd person singular)
-
weakened,
past participle, past
-
weakening
present participle
-
- Synonyms:
- invalidate, minimize, impair, reduce, lower, diminish, lessen, deplete, exhaust, sap, undermine, enervate, debilitate, enfeeble
- Antonyms:
- strengthen
-
Phonetics. to change (a speech sound) to an articulation requiring less effort, as from geminate to nongeminate or from stop to fricative.
verb (used without object)
-
weakens,
present (3rd person singular)
-
weakened,
past participle, past
-
weakening
present participle
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
weakensimple
-
weakenssimple
-
have weakenedperfect
-
has weakenedperfect
-
am weakeningprogressive
-
are weakeningprogressive
-
is weakeningprogressive
-
have been weakeningperfect progressive
-
has been weakeningperfect progressive
Past
-
weakenedsimple
-
had weakenedperfect
-
was weakeningprogressive
-
were weakeningprogressive
-
had been weakeningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of weaken
Explanation
To weaken is to become less powerful or strong. When a storm weakens, the wind dies down and the torrential rain becomes a light drizzle. If you weaken physically, your strength diminishes: "I did great at the start of the obstacle course, but my arms began to weaken toward the end and I couldn't climb that last wall." You can also weaken in resolve or spirit, like when your sister's criticism of your art project weakens your confidence about including it in an exhibition. This verb comes from weak and its Germanic root meaning "yield" or "soft."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
“These crimes are meant to intimidate entire communities and weaken the trust that holds us together,” he said in a statement Thursday.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
That could weaken the impact of any selling.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 6, 2026
Liverpool are reluctant to weaken their attacking options, particularly after Mohamed Salah's departure and with Hugo Ekitike still recovering from an Achilles injury.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
Elevated activin levels can weaken a worm's ability to regenerate, while low levels interfere with its ability to reproduce with other worms.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 5, 2026
She might weaken if they were alone, and that would never do.
From "Lyddie" by Katherine Paterson
"The worst combination for the Fed is if inflation remains sticky while the labor market weakens," she said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026
This reduction weakens their gravitational influence, offsetting the stronger attraction produced by the hidden force.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 2, 2026
If the hyperscalers’ spending slows because financing costs rise or free cash flow weakens, semiconductor demand could eventually feel the effects.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
Less salt makes the water lighter, so it sinks less easily and the circulation weakens further.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
The cold air weakens his ropes, and I easily free his hands.
From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas
This has further weakened demand for conventional vehicles while accelerating the shift toward electric vehicles and hybrid cars, the agency said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
Typhoon Dolphin brought heavy rain to eastern China on Monday, causing hundreds of flight cancellations even as the storm weakened and some cities resumed public transport.
From Barron's ● Aug. 10, 2026
Indeed, the yen has weakened a bit from near 155 to the dollar about three days ago, to almost 158 to the dollar, from a weak point of 164 before the intervention.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
These animals reached lower breakpoints, indicating that their motivation had weakened.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 5, 2026
“It’s going to be all right, sir,” Harry said over and over again, more worried by Dumbledore’s silence than he had been by his weakened voice.
From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling
"The changes risk weakening the integrity and credibility of international cricket, and only highlights the importance of strong governance, transparent decision-making and effective engagement with members," the statement said.
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026
But weakening domestic sales are pushing manufacturers like Zhang to seek fatter margins abroad, where consumers have more purchasing power.
From Barron's ● Aug. 9, 2026
The findings indicate that the eastward flow may now be weakening after reaching its strongest point several years ago.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 7, 2026
Market participants want to know how the Fed would respond to hotter inflation, a weakening labor market or an oil shock.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
Though the sun was weakening as it dropped, the temperature seemed to rise because the breeze that had brought faint relief all day had faded, and now the air was still and heavy.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
