weaken
Americanverb (used with object)
-
weakens,
present (3rd person singular)
-
weakened,
past participle, past
-
weakening
present participle
-
- Synonyms:
- invalidate, minimize, impair, reduce, lower, diminish, lessen, deplete, exhaust, sap, undermine, enervate, debilitate, enfeeble
- Antonyms:
- strengthen
-
Phonetics. to change (a speech sound) to an articulation requiring less effort, as from geminate to nongeminate or from stop to fricative.
verb (used without object)
-
weakens,
present (3rd person singular)
-
weakened,
past participle, past
-
weakening
present participle
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
weakensimple
-
weakenssimple
-
have weakenedperfect
-
has weakenedperfect
-
am weakeningprogressive
-
are weakeningprogressive
-
is weakeningprogressive
-
have been weakeningperfect progressive
-
has been weakeningperfect progressive
Past
-
weakenedsimple
-
had weakenedperfect
-
was weakeningprogressive
-
were weakeningprogressive
-
had been weakeningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of weaken
Explanation
To weaken is to become less powerful or strong. When a storm weakens, the wind dies down and the torrential rain becomes a light drizzle. If you weaken physically, your strength diminishes: "I did great at the start of the obstacle course, but my arms began to weaken toward the end and I couldn't climb that last wall." You can also weaken in resolve or spirit, like when your sister's criticism of your art project weakens your confidence about including it in an exhibition. This verb comes from weak and its Germanic root meaning "yield" or "soft."
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.
See Examples For:
Irregularities in the implosion can interfere with the compression process and weaken the resulting fusion reaction.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 20, 2026
"Of course, there will be some impact and the economy may weaken, but that doesn't mean it will collapse."
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
Therefore, while Jauregui “would remain bullish on the structural AI story,” he said he would be cautious about short-term risks if expectations weaken.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026
“What we have seen so far is increasingly interpreted through the lens of ‘salami-slicing’ tactics—limited, incremental escalation designed to weaken capabilities before a larger confrontation.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
Her knees would weaken, and she would have to go somewhere and lie down.
From "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini
As the U.S. dollar weakens, bitcoin may appear as an attractive hedge for some traders partly due to its limited supply, Coltman said.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 22, 2026
Raising interest rates weakens demand and, with a lag, the tendency of prices and wages to rise; lowering rates does the opposite.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
More generally, he added, "this withdrawal weakens the international architecture of criminal justice and heightens fears that the perpetrators of the most serious crimes will escape any prosecution".
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
Once active sunspot regions move within 15 degrees of the equator, that twisting mechanism weakens and the main driver of extreme space weather switches off.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 21, 2026
"Using your powers to manipulate fabric and plants pushes the arcana outside of its intended use. It weakens it."
From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton
Oldenburg was pushing back against restrictive zoning and suburbanization, arguing that fully residential neighborhoods weakened the societal fabric of the United States.
From Salon ● Aug. 23, 2026
Cryptocurrencies and precious metals shot higher, while the U.S. dollar weakened, after the Treasury Department said it planned to double its bond buybacks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026
With the West Coast handicap division weakened, Mott figured it was a good time to try the Pacific Classic again.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2026
The researchers say the findings could now support dietary intervention studies involving people with obesity, chronic infections, and other conditions associated with weakened immune function.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 22, 2026
When he spoke, his words rushed out like water bursting through a weakened dam.
From Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternack
A weakening currency coupled with rising bond yields is often seen as a sign that investor confidence has been dented.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 22, 2026
"All three are weakening as the international environment changes," she said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026
A monthly data dump showed the world’s second-largest economy weakening on several fronts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
Higher interest rates are coming, global liquidity has peaked and is now weakening.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026
Could he withstand the strain on his weakening body?
From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
