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:
Typhoon Dolphin was expected to weaken after making landfall while moving in a northwesterly direction over eastern China.
From Barron's ● Aug. 9, 2026
These problems can reduce carrier mobility and weaken transistor performance.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 9, 2026
The group alleged the transaction would weaken Hollywood with “fewer opportunities for creators, fewer jobs across the production ecosystem, higher costs, and less choice for audiences.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
That could weaken the impact of any selling.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 6, 2026
Sadly, this fear was shared by some of their own constituents and supporters who believed that the union of both would weaken or detract from the strength of each movement.
From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey
"The worst combination for the Fed is if inflation remains sticky while the labor market weakens," she said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026
If the hyperscalers’ spending slows because financing costs rise or free cash flow weakens, semiconductor demand could eventually feel the effects.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 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
Less salt makes the water lighter, so it sinks less easily and the circulation weakens further.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
Where shoals rise, lapping water weakens the ice.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
Typhoon Dolphin brought heavy rain to eastern China on Monday, causing hundreds of flight cancellations even as the storm weakened and some cities resumed public transport.
From Barron's ● Aug. 10, 2026
The sportswear brand said that traffic trends weakened as the latest quarter progressed, especially in North America and the Asia-Pacific region, prompting the company to step up its promotional efforts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
Labor-force participation—the share of people either working or actively seeking work—has weakened across a range of age groups.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 8, 2026
These changes indicate that Agulhas Leakage weakened dramatically and may have come close to stopping.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 6, 2026
The dream has weakened me, leaving my stomach bubbling, twisting, moaning.
From "Like Vanessa" by Tami Charles
The findings indicate that the eastward flow may now be weakening after reaching its strongest point several years ago.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 7, 2026
"They have a weakening yen, and they wanted a little bit of help. And we're always there for Japan," US President Donald Trump told reporters on Sunday.
From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026
The yen has been weakening because of the gap between Japanese and US interest rates, high oil prices and concerns about Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's spending plans further swelling Japan's enormous debts.
From Barron's ● Aug. 3, 2026
Recently, a weakening yen has been paired with another disturbing market dynamic: higher Japanese bond yields.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 3, 2026
How do you craft an apology for weakening someone’s ties to his father, to his family?
From "Educated" by Tara Westover
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.
