en·er·vate
(ĕn′ər-vāt′)tr.v. en·er·vat·ed, en·er·vat·ing, en·er·vates
1. To weaken or destroy the strength or vitality of: "the luxury which enervates and destroys nations" (Henry David Thoreau).
2. Medicine To remove a nerve or part of a nerve.
adj. (ĭ-nûr′vĭt)
Deprived of strength; debilitated.
en′er·va′tion n.
en′er·va′tive adj.
en′er·va′tor n.
Usage Note: Sometimes people mistakenly use enervate to mean "to invigorate" or "to excite" by assuming that this word is a close cousin of the verb energize. In fact enervate does not come from the same source as energize (Greek energos, "active"). It comes from Latin nervus, "sinew." Thus enervate means "to cause to become 'out of muscle' ," that is, "to weaken or deplete of strength."
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
enervated
(ˈɛnəveɪtɪd)adj
literary having been deprived of strength or vitality
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
| Adj. | 1. |  enervated - lacking strength or vigor weak - wanting in physical strength; "a weak pillar" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
enervated
adjective weakened, spent, done in (informal), weak, tired, drained, undermined, exhausted, fatigued, run-down, limp, feeble, sapped, worn out, debilitated, unnerved, washed out, incapacitated, enfeebled, devitalized Warm winds make many people feel enervated and depressed.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002