debilitate
verb
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Debilitate, enfeeble, undermine, and sap all share the general sense "to weaken." But while debilitate holds the distinction among these words of coming from the Latin word for "weak"—debilis—it packs a potent punch. Often used of disease or something that strikes like a disease or illness, debilitate might suggest a temporary impairment—but a pervasive one at that. Enfeeble, a very close synonym of debilitate, connotes a pitiable, but often reversible, condition of weakness and helplessness. Undermine and sap suggest a weakening by something working surreptitiously and insidiously.
Synonyms
Examples of debilitate in a Sentence
Vanessa Etienne, Peoplemag, 8 May 2024
In some cases, this can cause Lyme disease, a syndrome with uncomfortable, gnarly, and sometimes debilitating symptoms that can affect the body in wide-ranging ways.
—Julia Sullivan, SELF, 6 May 2024
Near the end of last year, the Food and Drug Administration gave two companies authorization to sell gene therapy to people with sickle cell disease — a genetic disorder of red blood cells that causes debilitating pain and other medical problems.
—Gina Kolata Kenny Holston, New York Times, 6 May 2024
These challenges do not have to be permanently debilitating to the health care industry.
—Bj Schaknowski, Fortune, 6 May 2024
Also last year, Bangladesh succeeded in stamping out lymphatic filariasis, a debilitating parasitic disease transmitted by mosquitoes.
—Charlie Campbell, TIME, 2 May 2024
Other treatments like radiation and surgery can leave patients with lifelong debilitating side effects.
—John Ligon, The Conversation, 1 May 2024
One client, a skilled worker who suffered a debilitating fall from heights, received a multi-million dollar settlement thanks to GGL's tireless efforts.
—Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 18 Apr. 2024
Dubai authorities issued a stay-at-home advisory for a second day, ordering employees and students to work remotely due to the debilitating storms.
—The Arizona Republic, 18 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'debilitate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near debilitate
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“Debilitate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/debilitate. Accessed 17 May. 2024.
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debilitate
verb
Medical Definition
debilitate
transitive verb
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