weaken

weak·en

 (wē′kən)

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

To make or become weak or weaker.

---

weak′en·er n.

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.

weaken

(ˈwiːkən)

vb

to become or cause to become weak or weaker

ˈweakener n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

weak•en

(ˈwi kən)

v.t., v.i.

to make or become weak or weaker; lessen; diminish.

[1520–30]

weak′en•er, n.

Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

weaken

Past participle: weakened
Gerund: weakening

Imperative

weaken

weaken

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

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 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"

Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

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

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

weaken

verb

1. To lose strength or power:

decline, degenerate, deteriorate, fade, fail, flag, languish, sink, wane, waste (away).

Informal: fizzle (out).

Idioms: go downhill, hit the skids.

2. To lessen or deplete the nerve, energy, or strength of:

attenuate, debilitate, devitalize, enervate, enfeeble, sap, undermine, undo, unnerve.

3. To lessen the strength of by or as if by admixture:

attenuate, cut, dilute, thin, water (down).

4. To moderate or change a position or course of action as a result of pressure:

ease off, relent, slacken, soften, yield.

Idiom: give way.

The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Translations

يُضْعِف

oslabit

blive svaggøre svag

schwächen

εξασθενίζω

flaqueardebilitardebilitarsedecaer

heikentääheikentyäheiketä

affaiblirdéfaillirfaillirs'affaiblirabattre

legyengítlegyengül

veikja, draga mátt úr

indebolireindebolirsismorzaredebilitare

labefacto

verzwakken

bli svaksvekke

ослабеть

zoslabnúť

oslabiti

zayıfla mak

减弱削弱

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

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

weaken

[ˈwiːkən]

vi → faiblir

vt → affaiblir

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

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

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

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

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

weak

(wiːk) adjective

1. lacking in physical strength. Her illness has made her very weak. swak ضَعيف الجِسِم слаб fraco / débil slabý schwach svag; slap αδύναμοςdébil nõrk ضعف heikko faibleחלש कमजोर slab gyönge lemah máttlaus, veikburða debole 弱い (체력이) 약한 silpnas vājš; nespēcīgs lemah zwaksvak, skrøpeligsłaby, słabowity fraco slab слабый slabý šibek slab svag, klen, vek อ่อนแอ zayıf, güçsüz 虛弱的 слабкий, кволий کمزور yếu 虚弱的

2. not strong in character. I'm very weak when it comes to giving up cigarettes. swak ضَعيف الشَّخْصِيَّه мек fraco nepevný schwach svag αδύναμος, που του λείπει το σθένος débil nõrga iseloomuga ضعيف heikkoluonteinen sans volontéחלש ढुलमुल slab gyönge lemah veikgeðja debole 弱い (의지, 성격이) 약한 silpnos valios vājš; vājas gribas- lemah zwaksvak, pyset bezwolny fraco slab, fără voinţă безвольный nepevný neodločen slab svag ไม่แข็งแรง iradesiz, zayıf 軟弱的 нерішучий اخلاقی قوت میں کمزور thiếu nghị lực 软弱的

3. (of a liquid) diluted; not strong. weak tea. flou خَفيف، مُرَقَّق разреден fraco slabý dünn svag αραιόςflojo, aguado, poco cargado lahja آبكي laimea faibleחלש हल्की slab híg encer þunnur, bragðlítill allungato, diluito 薄い 묽은, 싱거운 silpnas vājš; viegls cair slapsvak, tynncienkifraco slab, diluat жидкий; некрепкий slabý šibek slab svag เจือจาง sulu 稀淡的 неміцний ہلکا nhạt 淡的

4. (of an explanation etc) not convincing. flou واهٍ، ضَعيف، غَيْر مُقْنِع нерешителен ineficaz / fraca nepřesvědčivý schwach svag; dårlig διόλου πειστικός flojo, pobre, poco convincente ebaveenev سست عنصر hatara peu convaincant חלש अविश्वसनीय neuvjerljiv nem meggyőző tidak meyakinkan ósannfærandi debole 説得力のない 설득력이 약한 neįtikinamas, silpnas vājš; nepārliecinošs tidak meyakinkan slapsvak, ikke overbevisende nieprzekonywający fraco ne­convingător неубедительный nepresvedčivý neprepričljiv neubedljiv dålig ซึ่งไม่อาจโน้มน้าวใจได้ inandırıcı olmayan, zayıf (解釋等)不足採信的 непереконливий ناقابل یقین thiếu thuyết phục （论证等）无说服力的

5. (of a joke) not particularly funny. flou غَيْر مُضْحِك، باهِت скучен sem graça ubohý schwach dårlig κρύοςsin gracia, soso vilets بي مزه huono platחלש फीका loš (vic) hatástalan, gyönge tidak lucu lélegur piatto へたな 별로 감명을 못주는 skystas vājš; čābisks; šķidrs tidak bagus flauwflaukiepski sem graça fără haz вялый úbohý bled, medel ne baš smešan dålig ซึ่งไม่ตลก pek komik olmayan (笑話)不特別好笑的 слабкий مضحکہ خیز نہ ہونا nhạt nhẽo （笑话）不特别好笑的

ˈweakly adverb

flou بِضَعْف слабо fracamente slabě schwächlich svagt; slapt αδύναμα débilmente nõrgalt به سستي heikosti faiblement בְּחוּלשָה अस्वस्थ slabo, loše gyengén, betegesen dengan lemah þróttlaust; dauflega debolmente 弱く 허약하게 silpnai vāji; nedroši dengan lemah zwaksvakt, kraftløstsłabo fracamente fără putere слабо slabo šibko slabo svagt อย่างอ่อนแอ; อย่างไม่แข็งแรง zayıf biçimde 虛弱地 кволо کمزوری سے một cách yếu ớt 虚弱地

ˈweaken verb

to (cause to) become weak, especially in physical strength or character. The patient has weakened; The strain of the last few days has weakened him. verswak يُضْعِف отслабвам enfraquecer zeslábnout, oslabit schwächen blive svag; gøre svag εξασθενίζω, αποδυναμώνωdebilitar nõrgestuma, nõrgestama ضعيف شدن heikentää affaiblir לְהֵיחָלֵש दुर्बल oslabjeti legyengül; legyengít melemahkan veikja, draga mátt úr indebolire, indebolirsi 弱る 약하게 하다 susilpninti, susilpnėti novājēt; kļūt nespēcīgākam; novājināt menjadi lemah verzwakkenbli svak, svekkeosłabnąć, osłabićenfraquecer a (se) slăbi ослаблять zoslabnúť, oslabiť oslabeti; oslabiti oslabiti bli (göra) svag[are] ทำให้อ่อนแอ zayıflamak 削弱，變弱 ослабляти; слабшати کمزور ہونا làm yếu đi 削弱，减弱

ˈweakling (-liŋ) noun

a weak person, animal, or plant. She married a weakling. swakkeling ضَعيف البُنْيَه أو الشَّخْصِيَّه болнав raquítico / criatura fraca slaboch der Schwächling svækling αδύναμο πλάσμα, ανθρωπάκι debilucho, enfermizo tossike ضعيف rääpäle être faible יְצוּר חַלָש कमजोर slabić nyápic ember orang lemah veikburða maður/dÿr/planta debole 弱い人 허약자 paliegėlis, nupiepėlis vārgulis; nīkulis; gļēvulis orang yang lemah slappelingsvekling, sinke, stakkar cherlak كمزورى ( د جسم ،( ادارې اواخلاق له مخى raquítico fiinţă slabă слабыи/хилыи кто-л., слабак slaboch slabič slabić vekling, klen individ ผู้ที่อ่อนแอ; ผู้มีจิตใจอ่อนแอ; ผู้มีสุขภาพอ่อนแอ güçsüz kimse/hayvan, bitki; iradesiz kimse 體弱或意志薄弱的人、脆弱的動植物 слабка істота پتلا دبلا người/vật yếu đuối 体弱或意志薄弱的人、脆弱的动植物

ˈweakness noun

1. the state of being weak. swakheid ضَعْف слабост fraqueza slabost die Schwäche svaghed αδυναμίαdebilidad nõrkus ضعف heikkous faiblesseחולשה कमजोरी slabost gyengeség kelemahan þróttleysi debolezza 弱さ 약함 silpnumas vājums; nespēks keadaan menjadi lemah zwakheidsvakhetsłabość كمزورتيا، سستى، بى سيكى، زمولتيا fraqueza slăbiciune слабость slabosť slabost slabost svaghet ความอ่อนแอ zayıflık, güçsüzlük 虛弱 слабкість, кволість ناتوانی tình trạng yếu đuối 虚弱

2. something weak or faulty; a defect. weaknesses of character; Smoking is one of my weaknesses. swakte نُقْطَة ضَعْف недостатък fraqueza slabost die Schwäche svaghed αδυναμία, ελάττωμαdebilidad nõrkus نقص puute faiblesseחולשה कमजोरी slabost gyengéje vkinek, vminek kelemahan veikleiki debolezza 弱点 결함 silpnybė vājība; trūkums kelemahan zwakheidskavank, svakhetsłabość زمولتيا fraqueza slăbiciune слабость, недостаток slabosť šibka točka slabost svaghet จุดอ่อน; ข้อด้อย kusur, noksan 弱點 слабке місце, недолік خامی nhược điểm 弱点

have a weakness for

to have a liking for. She has a weakness for chocolate biscuits. 'n swakte hê vir iets مَيّالٌ إلى ، لَدَيْهِ ضَعْفٌ نَحْوَ имам слабост към ter um fraco por mít slabost pro eine Schwäche haben für have en svaghed for έχω αδυναμία σε tener debilidad por (millegi) suhtes nõrk olema ميل به چيزي داشتن olla heikkona jhnk avoir un faible pour חולשה शौक slabost gyengéje vkinek menyukai, gemar vera veikur fyrir avere un debole per ～に目がない 좋아서 사족을 못쓰다 turėti (kam nors) silpnybę būt vājībai (uz kaut ko) kesusahan untuk menahan sesuatu yang disukai een zwak hebben voorha en svakhet for mieć słabość do ليوالتيا درلودل ter um fraco por a avea o slăbiciune pentru питать слабость mať slabosť pre imeti posebno ljubezen do obožavati vara svag för ชอบมาก ...-e/a aşırı düşkün olmak, zaafı olmak (難以抗拒地)喜歡 мати пристрасть до کوءی چیز بے حد پسند ہونا có sở thích 偏爱…，特别爱好…

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.

weaken

v. debilitar; desfallecer; debilitarse; deteriorarse.

English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012

weaken

vt, vi debilitar(se)

English-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.