debilitating

adjective

de·​bil·​i·​tat·​ing di-ˈbi-lə-ˌtā-tiŋ 

dē-

: causing serious impairment of strength or ability to function

debilitating pain

a debilitating fear of public speaking

a debilitating illness

Thirty years have passed since a vaccine wiped out polio, but some of those who conquered the debilitating disease as children are now experiencing symptoms that seem all too familiar.

—Fay Knicely

Several of these drugs are now in clinical testing to determine whether they can reduce or eliminate the debilitating nausea suffered by cancer patients on chemotherapy.

—Ron Cowen

debilitatingly adverb

Debilitatingly asthmatic as a child, Scarfe developed his talent while amusing himself and acquired the cynicism for authority that empowers his … drawings and sculpture during many frightening encounters with medical incompetence.

—Ray Olson

Did you know?

The verb debilitate (and its adjective form debilitating) comes from the Latin word for "weak," debilis. Often used of disease—as in, "the patient was debilitated"—it can also suggest something that strikes like a disease or illness, "the actor was debilitated by stage fright." In sum, the word suggests a temporary impairment or a condition of weakness and helplessness.

Examples of debilitating in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Up to 90 percent of people with multiple sclerosis experience fatigue at some point, and nearly half of them describe fatigue as their most debilitating symptom, according to the study authors. —Lisa Rapaport, EverydayHealth.com, 17 Oct. 2024

Yet that’s enough time to cause a debilitating chain reaction. —Blake Nelson, The Mercury News, 13 Oct. 2024

Market impact Conflict within Lebanon's home territory compounds a debilitating financial crisis that has gripped the country since 2019, after the hemorrhage of dollar liquidity. —Ruxandra Iordache, CNBC, 1 Oct. 2024

Plus, damage to the brain can add up over time to even more serious and debilitating conditions. —Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes, 13 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1641, in the meaning defined above

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