debilitate

Advancedzipf 1.70

Pronunciation

/dɪˈbɪlɪteɪt/(dih-BIL-ih-tayt)

Part of speech

verbformal

Chinese

使衰弱；使虚弱（严重削弱体力或能力）

Definition

To make someone or something very weak or infirm.

Word family

  • debilitating/dɪˈbɪlɪteɪtɪŋ/(adj)使人衰弱的
  • debilitation/dɪˌbɪlɪˈteɪʃən/(n)衰弱

Collocations

  • debilitating illness
  • debilitating pain
  • debilitating anxiety
  • mentally debilitating

Examples

  1. 1.The disease can be extremely debilitating, leaving patients bedridden. (adj: causing severe weakness)
  2. 2.Years of stress had debilitated his immune system. (weakened)

Synonyms

  • weaken/ˈwiːkən/— make weak, general
  • incapacitate/ˌɪnkəˈpæsɪteɪt/— make unable to function
  • cripple/ˈkrɪpl/— severely damage ability, figurative

Etymology

from Latin "debilitare" = to weaken — de- (away) + habilis (able) — take away ability