Synonyms

debilitate

American

[dih-bil-i-teyt] / dɪˈbɪl ɪˌteɪt /

verb (used with object)

debilitated, debilitating

to make weak or feeble; enfeeble.

The siege of pneumonia debilitated her completely.

Synonyms:

devitalize, enervate, deplete, weaken

debilitate British

/ dɪˈbɪlɪˌteɪt /

verb

(tr) to make feeble; weaken

"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

Other Word Forms

debilitant noun
debilitation noun
debilitative adjective
nondebilitating adjective
nondebilitative adjective
overdebilitate verb (used with object)
undebilitated adjective
undebilitating adjective
undebilitative adjective

Etymology

Origin of debilitate

First recorded in 1525–35; from Latin dēbilitātus (past participle of dēbilitāre ), equivalent to dēbilit-, stem of dēbilis “weak” + -ātus -ate ¹

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.

The disease causes a wide range of debilitating symptoms, including tremors, difficulty with movement, sleep problems, and cognitive decline.

From Science Daily

Talvin, meanwhile, has suffered from "debilitating headaches" every day for the past four years.

From BBC

Their best player had sustained a debilitating injury.

From The Wall Street Journal

“Statements of shared values still matter, but only when they are backed by the ability to say no without inflicting debilitating harm on oneself,” she said in a piece for Policy Magazine.

From The Wall Street Journal

On one hand all of this speaks to the creativity and resilience of these women that they could work around what were, in some cases, such debilitating symptoms and still get on with life.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023