weaken
Americanverb (used with object)
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- Synonyms:
- invalidate, minimize, impair, reduce, lower, diminish, lessen, deplete, exhaust, sap, undermine, enervate, debilitate, enfeeble
- Antonyms:
- strengthen
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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)
verb
Other Word Forms
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.
Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the attack, saying "such cowardly acts of terrorism cannot weaken the resolve of the people of Pakistan".
From BBC • May 24, 2026
Their work revealed how sodium ions become integrated into the glass network and weaken some of the connections inside the structure.
From Science Daily • May 22, 2026
Economists worry that a sharp drop in immigration could weaken economic growth as the current workforce ages and starts to retire.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026
The Bank's rate setting committee also takes the general health of the economy into account, and data published on Tuesday showed the jobs market is continuing to weaken as the unemployment rate rose to 5%.
From BBC • May 20, 2026
For with fifty-five days to go, Lotharon began to weaken terribly.
From "The Princess Bride" by William Goldman
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.
