1
as in to undermine
to deprive of emotional or intellectual vitality
a lifetime of working in dreary jobs had enervated his very soul
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to weaken
to diminish the physical strength of
the surgery really enervated me for weeks afterwards
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in feeble
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of enervate
Cameron Hilditch, National Review, 28 Feb. 2021
The saving grace of this often enervating thriller is that Doscher grants time for his actors to build character and intimacy, and both Pinto and Odom offer warm, affectingly natural performances as two people facing the end of their world.
—Teo Bugbee, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2020
To a great extent, that reflects the endless, enervating nature of the Brexit debate.
—Mark Landler, New York Times, 31 Jan. 2020
Jack’s enervating recovery in The Way Back is full of drab, predictable pathos instead of the stylized drama in Dawn of Justice.
—Armond White, National Review, 6 Mar. 2020
Perhaps the most intimate of these photographs presents her after a shower, wet and enervated, rubbing a cloth across her reflection in a mirror, as though the condensation were crud.
—Eren Orbey, The New Yorker, 6 Feb. 2020
Then again, enervating her supporters has been Madonna’s M.O. in recent years.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 3 July 2019
But the art which resists the slow sap of a chronic disease—which repairs frames enervated by lust, swollen by gluttony, or inflamed by wine . .
—Chris Pope, WSJ, 17 Mar. 2019
Such behavior is particularly enervating when the West aims to bring new countries into permanent and universal—that is, Western-style—guarantees of security and systems of relations.
—I. William Zartman, WSJ, 24 June 2018
Verb
This relationship, when successful, tends to enervate mediating institutions that thwart the immediate desires of both the populist leader and the public.
—Cameron Hilditch, National Review, 28 Feb. 2021
The saving grace of this often enervating thriller is that Doscher grants time for his actors to build character and intimacy, and both Pinto and Odom offer warm, affectingly natural performances as two people facing the end of their world.
—Teo Bugbee, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2020
To a great extent, that reflects the endless, enervating nature of the Brexit debate.
—Mark Landler, New York Times, 31 Jan. 2020
Jack’s enervating recovery in The Way Back is full of drab, predictable pathos instead of the stylized drama in Dawn of Justice.
—Armond White, National Review, 6 Mar. 2020
Perhaps the most intimate of these photographs presents her after a shower, wet and enervated, rubbing a cloth across her reflection in a mirror, as though the condensation were crud.
—Eren Orbey, The New Yorker, 6 Feb. 2020
Then again, enervating her supporters has been Madonna’s M.O. in recent years.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 3 July 2019
But the art which resists the slow sap of a chronic disease—which repairs frames enervated by lust, swollen by gluttony, or inflamed by wine . .
—Chris Pope, WSJ, 17 Mar. 2019
Such behavior is particularly enervating when the West aims to bring new countries into permanent and universal—that is, Western-style—guarantees of security and systems of relations.
—I. William Zartman, WSJ, 24 June 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for enervate
Verb
-
The site goes on to advance the theory that COVID-19 originated in a Wuhan lab and undermines Trump’s political rivals like Joe Biden and Andrew Cuomo.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
18 Apr. 2025
-
Critics are concerned Trump's latest move could allow the administration to purge nonpartisan career officials and replace them with political loyalists, undermining the independence of the federal workforce.—
Nicholas Creel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Agreeing to a pick swap with the Lynx weakened the value of the pick that the Sky traded away.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Apr. 2025
-
One by one, the sectors defect, and, eventually, the leader may weaken and their government may fall.—
Julia Angwin,
New Yorker,
12 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Right-hander Michael King toyed with Colorado’s feeble offense and pitched his first complete-game shutout.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
13 Apr. 2025
-
One feeble shift by the Freddy Gaudreau line led to the Flames countering and Sharangovich scoring on a deflection off a harmless-looking shot by Martin Pospisil.—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
12 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
They will be exhausted after Grandma wrangling for 4 hours.—
Erin Clack,
People.com,
15 Apr. 2025
-
Their lineup has not exhausted opposing pitching staffs for a full series in a manner that has been their trademark for years.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Grapes are chilled after picking for 24 hours to soften grape skins before whole cluster fermentation.—
Tom Mullen,
Forbes.com,
21 Apr. 2025
-
In a December call, the Pope lobbied Biden to soften death-row sentences for convicts.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
21 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Payne drained a 3-pointer the next time down the floor to tie the game, 98-98.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
20 Apr. 2025
-
Stroll around and behold the sprawling gardens, luxurious poolside accommodations, spectacular ocean views and the fresh sea air and let the stress drain from your soul.—
Josh Max,
Forbes.com,
18 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
By studying the images, engineers can confirm and enhance the sonic-boom-deadening properties for the XB-1's airframe.—
David Szondy,
New Atlas,
3 Mar. 2025
-
Lightweight glass, a reduction of sound-deadening materials, and the marginally lighter 6-speed manual gearbox help the 2025 Porsche 911 Carrera T Cabriolet weigh 3,505 pounds—the company's lightest manual open-roof variant.—
Michael Harley,
Forbes,
24 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
On Blue Veil, the British composer coaxes earthy tremors from the cello, turning the sound of bow scrapes and resonant harmony into a languid psychic expanse.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
18 Apr. 2025
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His paintings frequently depict flowering trees, grassy fields and blue swimming pools under languid skies.—
Eli Wizevich,
Smithsonian Magazine,
14 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Enervate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/enervate. Accessed 26 Apr. 2025.
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