debilitated 1 of 2

adjective

as in weak
lacking bodily strength the debilitated prisoners could barely stand

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

debilitated

2 of 2

verb

past tense of debilitate
as in weakened
to diminish the physical strength of the heart surgery debilitated the college athlete beyond his worst fears

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of debilitated
Verb
After being shocked with the glove, the officer screamed and dropped to the ground, briefly debilitated for the moment the glove made contact with his skin. — Meg Anderson, NPR, 12 Aug. 2026 In Desert Storm, the short duration of ground operations was made possible by an air campaign that debilitated Iraq’s entire military establishment. — David A. Deptula, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026 Destruction of their livelihoods and more — they are debilitated. — Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Oc Register, 4 May 2026 Israel quickly debilitated Iran’s air defenses and caused significant damage to Iran’s military and nuclear infrastructure. — Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 31 Mar. 2026 The war, the latest and most extensive Israel offensive in the Gaza Strip, has greatly debilitated Hamas. — Foreign Correspondent, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2026 Amid an unprecedented cold snap in the Upper Florida Keys, six juvenile green sea turtles were discovered debilitated by frigid waters and are now undergoing intensive care at the Turtle Hospital in Marathon. — Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 4 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debilitated
  1. weak
  2. weakened
  3. feeble
  4. softened
  5. frail
  6. exhausted
  7. disabled
  8. tired
Adjective
  • Many African economies are in a much weaker economic position compared to the strong 2015-2016 El Niño, the IIF report said, largely due to higher oil prices, which have driven up transport costs, and a strong US dollar.
    — Paige Bruton, semafor.com, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Too much nitrogen in the spring creates a weak root system that isn’t able to withstand the heat and drought in summer.
    — Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of weak
Verb
  • Today, the yen has weakened 57% from a low of about 103 in January 2021 to a high of 163 in July, before a rare joint intervention from both Washington and Tokyo strengthened the currency to its current levels of about 160.
    — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Sprout Social's 2026 Influencer Marketing Report found that recommendation feeds have weakened the link between follower count and reach.
    — Zoe Huang, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of weakened
Adjective
  • Kenneth Branagh originated the somewhat aloof professor, who steps into the role after Professor Quirrell was revealed to be hosting the feeble Lord Voldemort on the back of his bald head.
    — Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Instead of using a mirror to gather starlight, MOTHRA has many telephoto lenses, like those on a camera, which can capture faintly glowing wisps of gas and other feeble emanations across a wider field of view.
    — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of feeble
Verb
  • Bright notes of lemon, sweet orange, and bergamot are softened by lavender and verbena, giving the citrus opening a more rounded, aromatic quality.
    — Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The steak was crisp and deeply browned on the outside, with a tender, savory center underneath, and the blanket of brown gravy softened the crunchy crust and added a rich, salty flavor without overpowering the meat.
    — Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of softened
Adjective
  • Though Steinem had recently become more frail physically, her wit and humor remained totally intact.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026
  • In the last decade, Jackson has paid a Miami company more than $35 million to discharge mostly frail patients with nowhere to go into assisted living beds.
    — Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of frail
Verb
  • Deery becomes the latest player who exhausted their eligibility to sue for an extra year of eligibility.
    — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Your eyes will thank you College students often fall asleep without removing their contacts, especially when exhausted from late-night studying or over-intoxicated from partying.
    — Dr. Jill Grimes, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of exhausted
Adjective
  • Related Stories The film follows Di Marco’s titular character, a disabled young adult who works as a dominant at a fetish house.
    — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 28 Aug. 2026
  • David Lugo earned a modest living as a mechanic throughout his life, supporting his mother and disabled sister, but three years ago, the 60-year-old's kidneys failed.
    — Rina Nakano, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of disabled
Verb
  • Fellow striker Ricardo Pepi tired out the Australian back line all day.
    — Alex Kirshner, New York Times, 20 June 2026
  • Plus, their fabric and fill are less likely to accrue that ever-darkening yellowish stain that tired goose down pillows acquire over time, thanks to sweat, oils, lotion residues, etc.
    — Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 24 Oct. 2025
Definition of tired

Browse Nearby Words

debilitate
debilitated
debilitates
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Debilitated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debilitated. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All