weaken

[ wee-kuhn ]
See synonyms for: weakenweakenedweakening on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)
  1. to make weak or weaker.

  2. 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)
  1. to become weak or weaker.

Origin of weaken

1
First recorded in 1520–30; weak + -en1

Other words for weaken

Opposites for weaken

Other words from weaken

  • weak·en·er, noun
  • re·weak·en, verb
  • un·weak·ened, adjective
  • un·weak·en·ing, adjective

Words Nearby weaken

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use weaken in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for weaken

weaken

/ (ˈwiːkən) /


verb
  1. to become or cause to become weak or weaker

Derived forms of weaken

  • weakener, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012