Synonyms

enfeeble

American

[en-fee-buhl] / ɛnˈfi bəl /

verb (used with object)

enfeebled, enfeebling

to make feeble; weaken.

That bout of pneumonia enfeebled him.

Synonyms:

debilitate, enervate

enfeeble British

/ ɪnˈfiːbəl /

verb

(tr) to make weak; deprive of strength

"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

enfeeblement noun
enfeebler noun
unenfeebled adjective

Etymology

Origin of enfeeble

1300–50; Middle English enfeblen < Old French enfeblir. See en- ¹, feeble

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 former Red Army is in an enfeebled state.

From The Wall Street Journal

She engenders compassion as Elisabeth grapples with her aging body, and a scene where she is enfeebled and struggles to get out of a chair is both achingly painful and achingly funny.

From Salon

Initially prematurely aged and enfeebled because of the conniving evil wizard Saruman, he is restored to vitality by the good wizard Gandalf.

From New York Times

Added to this, Congress, which governed India for decades, looks enfeebled and in decline.

From BBC

They fear that the enfeebling of the judiciary will compromise the rule of law and make the economy unattractive for investment.

From Seattle Times

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