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enervate

[verb en-er-veyt; adjective ih-nur-vit]
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verb (used with object), en·er·vat·ed, en·er·vat·ing.

to deprive of force or strength; destroy the vigor of; weaken.

adjective

enervated.

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RELATED WORDS

paralyze, exhaust, devitalize, debilitate, jade, unnerve, incapacitate, weary, enfeeble, disable, fatigue, vitiate, sap, weaken

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  6. enervated,
  7. enervating,
  8. enervation,
  9. enesco,
  10. enesco, georges

Origin of enervate

1595–1605; < Latin ēnervātus weakened (past participle of ēnervāre) equivalent to ē- e-1 + nerv(us) sinew (see nerve) + -ātus -ate1; compare Anglo-French enervir, French énerver
Related formsen·er·va·tion, nounen·er·va·tive, adjectiveen·er·va·tor, nounnon·en·er·vat·ing, adjective
Can be confusedenergize enervate innervate invigorate
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for enervating

British Dictionary definitions for enervating

enervating

adjective

tending to deprive of strength or vitality; physically or mentally weakening; debilitating

enervate

verb (ˈɛnəˌveɪt)

(tr) to deprive of strength or vitality; weaken physically or mentally; debilitate

adjective (ɪˈnɜːvɪt)

deprived of strength or vitality; weakened
Derived Formsenervation, nounenervative, adjectiveenervator, noun

Word Origin for enervate

C17: from Latin ēnervāre to remove the nerves from, from nervus nerve, sinew
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
Word Origin and History for enervating

enervate

v.

c.1600, from Latin enervatus, past participle of enervare "to weaken" (see enervation). Related: Ennervated; ennervating.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Medicine definitions for enervating

enervate

[ĕn′ər-vāt′]

v.

To remove a nerve or nerve part.
To cause weakness or a reduction of strength.
Related formsen′er•va′tion n.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.