as in weak
lacking bodily strength
the debilitated prisoners could barely stand
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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Recent Examples of debilitated
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
Verb
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
Adjective
-
Based on the popular 1960s spy sitcom, this weak adaptation casts Steve Carell as a bumbling secret agent, with Hathaway as his more competent partner and developing love interest.—
Chris Feil,
Vulture,
1 May 2026
-
In particular, researchers experimentally demonstrated quadsqueezing, a complex fourth-order quantum interaction previously considered too weak to observe.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
People who have weakened immune systems and who experienced intense pain during an initial outbreak are also more susceptible to getting shingles a second (or even third) time.—
Petra Guglielmetti,
Glamour,
7 May 2026
-
Meanwhile, the institutional guardrails have been weakened.—
Israel Melendez Ayala,
Time,
6 May 2026
Adjective
-
So, in retrospect, [the entire Lightning project] looked pretty feeble.—
Jamie Lincoln Kitman,
Rolling Stone,
24 Apr. 2026
-
His visit also comes as the committee stalls on advancing Casey Means, Kennedy’s nominee for surgeon general, over her lack of medical practice experience and feeble answers on the importance of vaccination.—
Daniel Payne,
STAT,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
And what with all the love and pain, something in me softened—or maybe decayed.—
Eva Wiseman,
Vogue,
7 May 2026
-
And the Blue Monster was no longer a monster, not with everything softened by the rain.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
3 May 2026
Adjective
-
Exceptions will be made for people who are too medically frail to work or in addiction treatment programs, among others.—
Geoff Mulvihill,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Exceptions will be made for people who are too medically frail to work or in addiction treatment programs, among others.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Repole is exhausting, but never exhausted.—
Jerry Brewer,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2026
-
But within a few years, they were exhausted from constant touring with occasional bickering.—
Kory Grow,
Rolling Stone,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Singh said the man lived alone with his disabled son, who required round-the-clock care and supervision.—
Kerry Burke,
New York Daily News,
7 May 2026
-
More than 4,100 Miami-Dade residents, all of whom are formerly homeless and disabled, live in permanent housing units paid for by the program.—
Max Klaver,
Miami Herald,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
But muddy conditions led to slop and chaos, and tired out the front-runners after a very fast opening pace, clearing the way for the closer to do his thing.—
Peter Keating,
New York Times,
1 May 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
Cite this Entry
“Debilitated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debilitated. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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