weaken (redirected from weakens)

weak·en  (wkn)

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

To make or become weak or weaker.

---

weaken·er n.

---

weaken [ˈwiːkən]

vb

to become or cause to become weak or weaker

weakener  n

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"

---

weaken

verb

1. reduce, undermine, moderate, diminish, temper, impair, lessen, sap, mitigate, invalidate, soften up, take the edge off, disempower Her opponents believe that her authority has been fatally weakened.
reduce increase, improve, boost, strengthen, enhance, revitalize

2. wane, fail, diminish, dwindle, lower, flag, fade, give way, lessen, abate, droop, ease up Family structures are weakening and breaking up. The storm was finally beginning to weaken
wane increase, grow, improve, strengthen

3. sap the strength of, tire, exhaust, debilitate, depress, disable, cripple, incapacitate, enfeeble, enervate Malnutrition weakens the patient.
sap the strength of strengthen, revitalize, invigorate

4. dilute, cut, thin, water down, debase, thin out, adulterate a glass of whisky weakened with soda

Translations

weaken [ˈwiːkən]

A. VT [+ person, heart, structure, economy] → debilitar; [+ power, influence, resolve] → menguar, debilitar; [+ case, argument] → quitar fuerza a; [+ solution, mixture] → diluir
he weakened his grip on her arm → dejó de apretarle el brazo con tanta fuerza
he doesn't want to do anything that might weaken his grip on power → no quiere hacer nada que pueda menguar el control que tiene sobre el país

B. VI

1. (= grow weaker) [person, muscle, structure, economy] → debilitarse; [power, influence, resolve] → menguarse, debilitarse
the pound weakened against the dollar today → hoy la libra ha bajado frente al dólar

2. (= give way) → flaquear
we must not weaken now → no debemos flaquear, ahora menos que nunca

weaken [ˈwiːkən]

vi → faiblir

vt → affaiblir

weaken

vt (lit, fig) → schwächen; influence also, control, suspicion etc → verringern; argument also → entkräften; walls, foundations → angreifen; hold → lockern; he weakened his grip on my arm → er hielt meinen Arm nicht mehr ganz so fest

vi (lit, fig) → schwächer werden, nachlassen; (person) → schwach or weich werden; (foundations) → nachgeben; (defence, strength) → erlahmen; (dollar) → nachlassen; his grip on my arm weakened → er hielt meinen Arm nicht mehr ganz so fest

weaken [ˈwiːk/ən]

1. vt (gen) → indebolire; (grip) → allentare; (influence) → diminuire; (solution, mixture) → diluire
this fact weakens your case → questo fatto sminuisce il tuo argomento

2. vi (gen) → indebolirsi; (grip) → allentarsi; (influence) → diminuire; (give way) → cedere
we must not weaken now → non dobbiamo cedere proprio ora

---

weaken [ˈwiːk/ən]

1. vt (gen) → indebolire; (grip) → allentare; (influence) → diminuire; (solution, mixture) → diluire
this fact weakens your case → questo fatto sminuisce il tuo argomento

2. vi (gen) → indebolirsi; (grip) → allentarsi; (influence) → diminuire; (give way) → cedere
we must not weaken now → non dobbiamo cedere proprio ora