| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | make very weak |
| Synonyms: | attenuate, blunt, cripple, debilitate, deplete, devitalize, diminish, disable, exhaust, fatigue, incapacitate, sap, undermine, unhinge, unnerve, weaken, wear out |
| Antonyms: | strengthen |
| 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: | break |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | weaken, cause instability |
| Synonyms: | bankrupt, bust, confound, confute, controvert, cow, cripple, declass, degrade, demerit, demoralize, demote, disconfirm, dispirit, disprove, downgrade, enervate, enfeeble, humiliate, impair, impoverish, incapacitate, pauperize, rebut, reduce, refute, ruin, subdue, tame, undermine |
| Notes: | to brake is to slow or stop while break is to cause to separate into pieces suddenly or violently, smash or crack |
| Antonyms: | stabilize, strengthen |
| Main Entry: | cripple |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | disable; make lame |
| Synonyms: | attenuate, blunt, debilitate, disarm, dislimb, dismember, enfeeble, hamstring, hurt, immobilize, incapacitate, injure, lame, maim, mangle, mutilate, palsy, paralyze, prostrate, sap, sideline, stifle, undermine, unstrengthen, weaken |
| Antonyms: | aid, assist, enable, help, strengthen, support |
| 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: | demoralize |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | depress, unnerve |
| Synonyms: | abash, blow out, blow up, chill, cripple, damp, dampen, daunt, debilitate, deject, disarrange, disconcert, discountenance, discourage, dishearten, disorder, disorganize, disparage, dispirit, disturb, embarrass, enfeeble, get to, jumble, muddle, nonplus, psych out, rattle, sap, send up, shake, snarl, take apart, take steam out, undermine, unglue, unman, unsettle, unzip, upset, weaken |
| Antonyms: | boost, comfort, encourage, uplift |
| Main Entry: | disable |
| 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: | 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 |