debilitate

[ dih-bil-i-teyt ]

/ dɪˈbɪl ɪˌteɪt /

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See synonyms for: debilitate / debilitated / debilitating 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.

OTHER WORDS FOR debilitate

weaken, deplete, enervate, devitalize.

See synonyms for debilitate on Thesaurus.com

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Origin of debilitate

First recorded in 1525–35; from Latin dēbilitātus (past participle of dēbilitāre ), equivalent to dēbilit-, stem of dēbilis “weak” + -ātus -ate¹

OTHER WORDS FROM debilitate

de·bil·i·tant, nounde·bil·i·ta·tion

[dih-bil-i-tey-shuhn], /dɪˌbɪl ɪˈteɪ ʃən/, nounde·bil·i·ta·tive, adjectivenon·de·bil·i·tat·ing, adjective

non·de·bil·i·ta·tive, adjectiveo·ver·de·bil·i·tate, verb (used with object), o·ver·de·bil·i·tat·ed, o·ver·de·bil·i·tat·ing.un·de·bil·i·tat·ed, adjectiveun·de·bil·i·tat·ing, adjectiveun·de·bil·i·ta·tive, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use debilitate in a sentence

Consumed by guilt and dread, and unsure of what she’s become, or why, Maeve grows increasingly debilitated by whatever has infected her.
‘Red Hands’ is either creepily satisfying or a trigger for your worst nightmare|Elizabeth Hand|December 17, 2020|Washington Post
Researchers are also investigating gene therapy approaches, with the goal of fixing the mutation that causes the debilitating illness.
The FDA has approved the first drug to treat the rapid-aging disease progeria|Carolyn Wilke|November 25, 2020|Science News
It’s a condition being evaluated and likely to be made official, but in simple terms, it’s grief that’s debilitating over a long period of time.
Why it’s hard to process 250,000 COVID deaths|Sy Mukherjee|November 19, 2020|Fortune
People with severe cases can suffer prolonged symptoms of fatigue and other debilitating effects.
Death Rates Have Fallen By 18% For Hospitalized COVID–19 Patients As Treatments Improve|LGBTQ-Editor|November 5, 2020|No Straight News

For the millions suffering from cancer and other debilitating diseases, I hope so.
Why we shouldn’t give up on bipartisanship, even now|jakemeth|November 3, 2020|Fortune
Thus, they arrived at work debilitated by disease or exhausted by the long trek from home.
David's Book Club: The Conquest of Malaria|David Frum|July 31, 2012|DAILY BEAST
The psychological fear debilitated any progress or learning in the cities.
Fariba Nawa: Why the Taliban Is Still My Enemy|Fariba Nawa|December 22, 2011|DAILY BEAST
We watched them silently, too debilitated to even move out of their way.
The Extinction Parade: An Original Zombie Story by Max Brooks|Max Brooks|January 14, 2011|DAILY BEAST
I could count on about 20 years of catering to this possibly debilitated but still buying class.
The Great Untapped 80-Something Market|Liz Smith|March 16, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Indeed, during the greater portion of the voyage one or the other of us lay sick and debilitated.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various
It is not infrequently observed in the strumous and debilitated.
Essentials of Diseases of the Skin|Henry Weightman Stelwagon
The patient rallied, but she remained very much debilitated.
Mark Twain, A Biography, 1835-1910, Complete|Albert Bigelow Paine
But the effort was too great for her debilitated condition—a weakness came over her, and she sunk back exhausted to her pillow.
Graham's Magazine Vol XXXII No. 6 June 1848|Various
The following, then, may be put down as the causes of a debilitated constitution, from the misuse of food.
A Treatise on Domestic Economy|Catherine Esther Beecher

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

debilitate

OTHER WORDS FOR debilitate

Origin of debilitate

OTHER WORDS FROM debilitate

Words related to debilitate

How to use debilitate in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for debilitate

Derived forms of debilitate

Word Origin for debilitate