Dictionary.com
definitions

enervate

[ verb en-er-veyt; adjective ih-nur-vit ]
/ verb ˈɛn ərˌveɪt; adjective ɪˈnɜr vɪt /
|
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR enervate ON THESAURUS.COM

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.

RELATED WORDS

debility, attenuation, enfeeblement, feebleness, weakness, depletion, frailty, exhaustion

Nearby words

energy gap, energy level, energy obesity, energy star program, energy-smart, enervation, enervated, enervating, enervation, enesco, 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 enervation

British Dictionary definitions for enervation

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

Medicine definitions for enervation

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.