| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | render inoperative; cripple |
| Synonyms: | attenuate, batter, blunt, damage, debilitate, disarm, disenable, disqualify, enervate, enfeeble, exhaust, hamstring, handicap, harm, hock, hogtie, hurt, immobilize, impair, incapacitate, invalidate, kibosh, knock out, maim, mangle, mar, mutilate, muzzle, paralyze, pinion, prostrate, put out of action, render incapable, ruin, sabotage, sap, shatter, shoot down, spoil, take out*, throw monkey wrench in, total*, unbrace, undermine, unfit, unstrengthen, weaken, wreck |
| Antonyms: | aid, assist, enable, help, improve |
| Main Entry: | batter |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | strike and damage |
| Synonyms: | assault, bash, beat, break, bruise, buffet, clobber, contuse, cripple, crush, dash, deface, demolish, destroy, disable, disfigure, drub, hurt, injure, lacerate, lambaste, lame, lash, mangle, mar, maul, mutilate, pelt, pommel, pound, pummel, punish, ruin, shatter, smash, thrash, wallop, wreck |
| Main Entry: | blunt |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | make dull |
| Synonyms: | attenuate, benumb, cripple, dampen, deaden, debilitate, desensitize, disable, enfeeble, hebetate, numb, obtund, sap, soften, take the edge off, undermine, water down, weaken |
| Antonyms: | needle, point, sharpen |
| Main Entry: | debase |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | degrade, shame |
| Synonyms: | abase, bemean, cast down, cheapen, corrupt, cripple, debauch, debilitate, demean, demoralize, deprave, devaluate, devalue, disable, disgrace, dishonor, drag down, dump on, enfeeble, fluff off, humble, humiliate, lower, put away, put down, reduce, sap, shoot down, sink, take down a peg, take down, undermine, weaken |
| Antonyms: | elevate, honor, laud, praise, upgrade, value |
| Main Entry: | debilitate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | incapacitate |
| Synonyms: | attenuate, blunt, cripple, devitalize, disable, enervate, enfeeble, eviscerate, exhaust, extenuate, harm, hurt, injure, mar, prostrate, relax, sap, spoil, unbrace, undermine, unstrengthen, weaken, wear out |
| Antonyms: | aid, assist, cure, energize, help, invigorate, mend, strengthen |
| Main Entry: | defuse |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | disarm; smooth over |
| Synonyms: | alleviate, cripple, deactivate, demilitarize, diminish, disable, lessen, moderate, mollify, pacify, pad, restrain, soften, soothe, subdue, weaken |
| Main Entry: | disarm |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | render defenseless |
| Synonyms: | conciliate, cripple, deactivate, debilitate, deescalate, demilitarize, demobilize, disable, disband, disqualify, incapacitate, invalidate, neutralize, occupy, pacify, paralyze, prostrate, skin, strip, subdue, subjugate, unarm, weaken |
| Antonyms: | arm |
| Main Entry: | disqualify |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | be unfit for; be ineligible |
| Synonyms: | bar, bate, debar, disable, disenable, disentitle, disfranchise, eighty-six, except, exclude, impair, incapacitate, invalidate, nix, not make the cut, paralyze, preclude, prohibit, rule out, suspend, unfit, weaken |
| Antonyms: | allow, be eligible, capacitate, fit, permit, qualify |
| Main Entry: | enervate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | tire, wear out |
| Synonyms: | debilitate, devitalize, disable, enfeeble, exhaust, fatigue, incapacitate, jade, paralyze, sap, unnerve, vitiate, weaken, weary |
| Notes: | energize means to cause to be alert or to invigorate while enervate means to weaken mentally or morally enervate means 'drain energy or vigor from' (from Latin enervare 'weaken by extraction of the sinews') and innervate means 'supply with energy' (Latin in- 'in' and nervus 'strength, vigor, energy') innervate means 'to stimulate or give nervous energy,' the opposite of enervate |
| Antonyms: | activate, animate, empower, energize, invigorate, liven, strengthen |