weaken

weak·en  (wkn)

tr. & intr.v. weak·ened, weak·en·ing, weak·ens

To make or become weak or weaker.

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weaken·er n.

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weaken

Verb

to become or make weak or weaker

Thesaurus

Verb	1.	weaken - lessen the strength of; "The fever weakened his body" de-energise, de-energize - deprive of energy break - weaken or destroy in spirit or body; "His resistance was broken"; "a man broken by the terrible experience of near-death" alter, change, modify - cause to change; make different; cause a transformation; "The advent of the automobile may have altered the growth pattern of the city"; "The discussion has changed my thinking about the issue" devitalise, devitalize - sap of life or energy; "The recession devitalized the economy" shake - undermine or cause to waver; "my faith has been shaken"; "The bad news shook her hopes" depress - lessen the activity or force of; "The rising inflation depressed the economy" unbrace - remove a brace or braces from etiolate - make weak by stunting the growth or development of cripple, stultify - deprive of strength or efficiency; make useless or worthless; "This measure crippled our efforts"; "Their behavior stultified the boss's hard work" dilute, thin, thin out, reduce, cut - lessen the strength or flavor of a solution or mixture; "cut bourbon" attenuate, rarefy - weaken the consistency of (a chemical substance) blunt - make less intense; "blunted emotions" mollify, season, temper - make more temperate, acceptable, or suitable by adding something else; moderate; "she tempered her criticism" debilitate, enfeeble, drain - make weak; "Life in the camp drained him" enervate - weaken mentally or morally dampen - reduce the amplitude (of oscillations or waves) neutralize, nullify, neutralise, negate - make ineffective by counterbalancing the effect of; "Her optimism neutralizes his gloom"; "This action will negate the effect of my efforts" castrate, emasculate - deprive of strength or vigor; "The Senate emasculated the law" wash out - deplete of strength or vitality; "The illness washed her out" beef up, fortify, strengthen - make strong or stronger; "This exercise will strengthen your upper body"; "strengthen the relations between the two countries"
	2.	weaken - become weaker; "The prisoner's resistance weakened after seven days" decrease, diminish, lessen, fall - decrease in size, extent, or range; "The amount of homework decreased towards the end of the semester"; "The cabin pressure fell dramatically"; "her weight fell to under a hundred pounds"; "his voice fell to a whisper" attenuate - become weaker, in strength, value, or magnitude disappear, evaporate, melt - become less intense and fade away gradually; "her resistance melted under his charm"; "her hopes evaporated after years of waiting for her fiance" die down - become progressively weaker; "the laughter died down" collapse - lose significance, effectiveness, or value; "The school system is collapsing"; "The stock market collapsed" fade, melt - become less clearly visible or distinguishable; disappear gradually or seemingly; "The scene begins to fade"; "The tree trunks are melting into the forest at dusk" subside, lessen - wear off or die down; "The pain subsided" slur, dim, blur - become vague or indistinct; "The distinction between the two theories blurred" languish, pine away, waste - lose vigor, health, or flesh, as through grief; "After her husband died, she just pined away" dull - make less lively or vigorous; "Middle age dulled her appetite for travel" pall - lose strength or effectiveness; become or appear boring, insipid, or tiresome (to); "the course palled on her" relax, loose, loosen - become loose or looser or less tight; "The noose loosened"; "the rope relaxed" slacken - become looser or slack; "the rope slackened" slacken, slow up, slow, slow down, slack - become slow or slower; "Production slowed" wilt - lose strength; "My opponent was wilting" strengthen - gain strength; "His body strengthened"
	3.	weaken - destroy property or hinder normal operations; "The Resistance sabotaged railroad operations during the war" countermine, sabotage, undermine, subvert, counteract derail - cause to run off the tracks; "they had planned to derail the trains that carried atomic waste" disobey - refuse to go along with; refuse to follow; be disobedient; "He disobeyed his supervisor and was fired"
	4.	weaken - reduce the level or intensity or size or scope of; "de-escalate a crisis" de-escalate, step down minify, decrease, lessen - make smaller; "He decreased his staff"
	5.	weaken - lessen in force or effect; "soften a shock"; "break a fall" soften, damp, dampen, break blunt, deaden - make less lively, intense, or vigorous; impair in vigor, force, activity, or sensation; "Terror blunted her feelings"; "deaden a sound" deafen - make soundproof; "deafen a room" deaden, damp, dampen - make vague or obscure or make (an image) less visible; "muffle the message"

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weaken

verb 1. reduce, undermine, moderate, diminish, temper, impair, lessen, sap, mitigate, invalidate, soften up, take the edge off << OPPOSITE boost

verb 2. wane, fail, diminish, dwindle, lower, flag, fade, give way, lessen, abate, droop, ease up << OPPOSITE grow

verb 3. sap the strength of, tire, exhaust, debilitate, depress, disable, cripple, incapacitate, enfeeble, enervate << OPPOSITE strengthen

Translations

weaken [ˈwiːkən] vi → debilitarse (= give way); ceder

vt → debilitar

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weaken [ˈwiːkn] weak vi → faiblir

vt → affaiblir

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weaken [ˈwiːkn] weak vi [resolve, person] → schwächer werden; [influence, power] → nachlassen

vt → schwächen

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weaken [ˈwiːkən] vi → indebolirsi

vt → indebolire