Dictionary.com

debilitate

[ dih-bil-i-teyt ]
/ dɪˈbɪl ɪˌteɪt /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR debilitate ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), de·bil·i·tat·ed, de·bil·i·tat·ing.

to make weak or feeble; enfeeble: The siege of pneumonia debilitated her completely.

QUIZZES

FOR LEXICAL ALIMENTATION, TAKE THIS WORD OF THE DAY QUIZ!

Nourish your vocabulary with a refresher on the words from the week of September 14–20, 2020!
Question 1 of 7
What does “blatherskite” mean?
a person given to voluble, empty talk.
an ancient Greek or Roman farce that depended for effect largely upon ludicrous actions and gestures.
a check whose amount has been raised by forgery before cashing.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of debilitate

1525–35; <Latin dēbilitātus (past participle of dēbilitāre), equivalent to dēbilit-, stem of dēbilis weak + -ātus-ate1

OTHER WORDS FROM debilitate

Words nearby debilitate

de bene esse, debenture, debenture bond, de Bèze, Debierne, debilitate, debilitating, debility, Debir, debit, debitage
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to debilitate

eviscerate, attenuate, disable, cripple, exhaust, harm, mar, devitalize, injure, prostrate, extenuate, relax, hurt, enfeeble, spoil, enervate, sap, blunt, undermine, weaken

Example sentences from the Web for debilitate

British Dictionary definitions for debilitate

debilitate
/ (dɪˈbɪlɪˌteɪt) /

verb

(tr) to make feeble; weaken

Derived forms of debilitate

debilitation, noun

Word Origin for debilitate

C16: from Latin dēbilitāre, from dēbilis weak
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