debilitate

C2+ Topic:Actions & Processes
US /dɪˈbɪlɪˌteɪt/ UK /dɪˈbɪlɪˌteɪt/
verb

Meanings

  1. 1
    verb

    to weaken or sap the strength of

    The long fever began to debilitate him severely.

Thesaurus

Synonyms
Word family
Forms debilitating
Derived forms debilitationdebilitatingdebilitated
Related forms debility

Etymology

From Latin dēbilitātus, past participle of dēbilitāre ('to weaken'), from dēbilis ('weak, feeble'), from de- ('un-') plus a root related to *bel- ('strength').

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