as in weak
lacking bodily strength
the enfeebled old woman now needs a companion to help her with everyday tasks
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in weakened
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 enfeebled
Niall Stanage, The Hill, 20 May 2026
With this enfeebled mind my only recourse is poetry.
—Literary Hub, 14 Jan. 2026
Chargers guards and center Bradley Bozeman, a trio whose job was made more difficult by subpar play by both offensive tackles, looked enfeebled against Indianapolis Colt tackle DeForest Buckner.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Oct. 2025
During a hospital stay, Roy’s enfeebled mother fixates on the caste and religious affiliations of the doctors treating her—the sort of thing that will be familiar to anyone who has cringed at a diminished elder’s unfiltered prejudices.
—Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 3 Sep. 2025
Gregory A. Daddis, The Conversation, 14 Mar. 2022
Adjective
But given the island’s small size and enfeebled state, the risks seem much smaller than in Iran.
—Niall Stanage, The Hill, 20 May 2026
With this enfeebled mind my only recourse is poetry.
—Literary Hub, 14 Jan. 2026
Chargers guards and center Bradley Bozeman, a trio whose job was made more difficult by subpar play by both offensive tackles, looked enfeebled against Indianapolis Colt tackle DeForest Buckner.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Oct. 2025
During a hospital stay, Roy’s enfeebled mother fixates on the caste and religious affiliations of the doctors treating her—the sort of thing that will be familiar to anyone who has cringed at a diminished elder’s unfiltered prejudices.
—Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 3 Sep. 2025
Verb
The costs of maintaining an enormous Cold War army and navy enfeebled an already unstable Soviet economy.
—Gregory A. Daddis, The Conversation, 14 Mar. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for enfeebled
Adjective
-
As the story goes, attendance was weak, the weather was bad, and the tournament experience was just lacking.—
James Burky,
Denver Post,
29 May 2026
-
As many as 40 states combine one-party control with institutional barriers weak enough to fall to political pressure.—
Bruce Sibley,
Time,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
Remsing, meanwhile, said that commodity-sensitive currencies like the Norwegian krone, Australian dollar and Brazilian real have also trended strongly as the de-dollarization theme petered out and the euro was weakened by the war.—
Hugh Leask,
CNBC,
5 June 2026
-
That's because some jurisdictions weakened their public health authorities in response to criticism of lockdowns, school closures, mask mandates, vaccine requirements and other COVID-era restrictions.—
Rob Stein,
NPR,
4 June 2026
Adjective
-
The Rock People were a feeble attempt to cash in on the shapeshifting craze, as Stonedar, Rokkon, and Granita (the latter never immortalized as an action figure) could turn themselves into… er, meteors.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
4 June 2026
-
The manner the ball traveled from Maradona suggested a feebler contact than a pure header.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
These were not tacos reverse-engineered for a white-tablecloth audience or softened for white palates.—
Brock Keeling,
Oc Register,
3 June 2026
-
Officials softened the course so much for the final day that Tommy Fleetwood shot 63.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
These moments are delightfully painful moments that remind just how frail this current moment in our relationship to technology continues to be.—
David John Chávez,
Mercury News,
29 May 2026
-
Modifiers are long-standing medical coding tools that identify patients that are sicker, frailer, or undergoing unusually complex procedures.—
Dr. John Guzzi,
Hartford Courant,
27 May 2026
Adjective
-
Getting that exemption will be more difficult than most people had expected, meaning that more sick and disabled people are likely to lose their Medicaid coverage.—
Tara Bannow,
STAT,
3 June 2026
-
There are special additional rules for households with elderly or disabled members.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Enfeebled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/enfeebled. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
