debilitate

C2+ Topic:Actions & Processes

US /dɪˈbɪlɪˌteɪt/ UK /dɪˈbɪlɪˌteɪt/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

verb
to weaken or sap the strength of

The long fever began to debilitate him severely.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to weaken or sap the... weaken enervate enfeeble sap incapacitate exhaust cripple undermine

Opposites

strengthen invigorate fortify energize empower

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').

dēbilitāre Latin dēbilis Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# debilitate

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /dɪˈbɪlɪˌteɪt/
**IPA (UK):** /dɪˈbɪlɪˌteɪt/

## Meanings
1. to weaken or sap the strength of

## Examples
- The long fever began to debilitate him severely.

## Synonyms
- weaken
- enervate
- enfeeble
- sap
- incapacitate
- exhaust
- cripple
- undermine

## Antonyms
- strengthen
- invigorate
- fortify
- energize
- empower

## Derived Forms
- debilitation
- debilitating
- debilitated

## Related Forms
- debility

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: dēbilitāre
- Root: dēbilis

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

## AI Etymology
Debilitate is from Latin dēbilitātus, past participle of dēbilitāre ('to weaken'), from dēbilis ('weak, feeble'), from de- ('un-') plus a root related to *bel- ('strength'). The ancestry passes through Latin dēbilitāre and Latin dēbilis. The prefix de- often marks removal, reversal, or downward motion in Latin formations, helping to explain the word's surface structure. In present use as a verb, it means "to weaken or sap the strength of", keeping the historical formation close to the word's ordinary semantic work. Related words include debility; derived forms include debilitation, debilitating, and debilitated.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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