enfeebling 1 of 2

adjective

as in debilitating

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enfeebling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of enfeeble
as in weakening
to diminish the physical strength of long periods of being confined to a hospital bed will enfeeble anyone

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 enfeebling
Verb
In Church’s day, that separation depended on promoting a robust idea of American innocence over Europe’s enfeebling corruption. — Sebastian Smee, New Yorker, 4 May 2026 If the goal instead is regime weakening—enfeebling the Islamic Republic so the Iranian public could overwhelm it—there are two ways forward. — Dennis Ross, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2026 If that is the case, the economic effect will be to draw capital out of emerging market economies, enfeebling them (and their currencies and bond markets). — Mike O'Sullivan, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for enfeebling
  1. debilitating
  2. weakening
  3. draining
  4. softening
  5. fatiguing
  6. discouraging
  7. demoralizing
  8. exhausting
Adjective
  • That’s a good thing, in the sense that even if a child is infected, the vast majority do not develop debilitating, and potentially fatal, consequences.
    — Eli Cahan, Rolling Stone, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Balancing a new baby and the demands of a job on top of the debilitating effects of postpartum depression and anxiety can drive up absenteeism and undercut job performance.
    — Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of debilitating
Verb
  • If superconductivity in magic-angle graphene were primarily driven by phonons, or vibrations of the atomic lattice, weakening Coulomb interactions would be expected to leave the effect largely unchanged or even strengthen it slightly.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Caterpillar carries a weakening relative strength score of just 4 out of 10 versus the S & P 500.
    — Tony Zhang, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of weakening
Adjective
  • This is a good time to organize the list, clarify expectations, or make a routine feel less draining.
    — Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Speaking of the part of van life spent behind the wheel, Volkswagen has slightly reworked the Grand California's driver-assistance suite to make driving a little less draining.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 10 July 2026
Definition of draining
Verb
  • From removing stubborn stains to softening scratchy towels, vinegar consistently tackles the problems that detergents and fabric softeners sometimes leave behind.
    — Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Meanwhile, the vitamins, delivered via skin-softening plant oils, help moisturize and firm the skin.
    — Jenny Berg, Vogue, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of softening
Adjective
  • But the most mentally fatiguing aspect, the work found, was having to constantly supervise the AI tools, with some employees overseeing multiple AI agents performing different tasks at the same time.
    — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 12 Mar. 2026
  • My friend was in course of opening up his country house unassisted, and after a fatiguing day discovered that the only practical bed was a child’s affair— long enough but scarcely wider than a crib.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Mar. 2026
Definition of fatiguing
Adjective
  • His fellow scientists are neither comforting nor discouraging.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Then a rough 2025, a crowded rotation in 2026 and a discouraging bullpen stint led Pfaadt back to Reno.
    — Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of discouraging
Adjective
  • Suddenly, in this most demoralizing scenario, USC is out of the Playoff picture at the halfway point of the season.
    — Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 17 Aug. 2026
  • On top of all that, having to say this again and again is demoralizing.
    — Donna Vickroy, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of demoralizing
Adjective
  • That algorithmic loop can be exhausting, and a Forbes Health survey found that 79% of Gen Zers report burnout from apps.
    — Rachel Hale, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Not the fire, not the sudden death, not the exhausting fight to get back home.
    — Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of exhausting

Browse Nearby Words

enfeebles
enfeebling
enfetter
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Cite this Entry

“Enfeebling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/enfeebling. Accessed 6 Sep. 2026.

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