'Weaken' definitions:
Definition of 'weaken'
(from WordNet)
verb
verb
Become weaker; "The prisoner's resistance weakened after seven days" [ant: strengthen]
verb
Destroy property or hinder normal operations; "The Resistance sabotaged railroad operations during the war" [syn: sabotage, undermine, countermine, counteract, subvert, weaken]
verb
Reduce the level or intensity or size or scope of; "de- escalate a crisis" [syn: de-escalate, weaken, step down] [ant: escalate, intensify, step up]
verb
Definition of 'Weaken'
From: GCIDE
- Weaken \Weak"en\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Weakened; p. pr. & vb. n. Weakening.] [1913 Webster]
- 1. To make weak; to lessen the strength of; to deprive of strength; to debilitate; to enfeeble; to enervate; as, to weaken the body or the mind; to weaken the hands of a magistrate; to weaken the force of an objection or an argument. [1913 Webster]
- Their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it be not done. --Neh. vi. 9. [1913 Webster]
- 2. To reduce in quality, strength, or spirit; as, to weaken tea; to weaken any solution or decoction. [1913 Webster]
Definition of 'Weaken'
From: GCIDE
- Weaken \Weak"en\, v. i. To become weak or weaker; to lose strength, spirit, or determination; to become less positive or resolute; as, the patient weakened; the witness weakened on cross-examination. "His notion weakens, his discernings are lethargied." --Shak. [1913 Webster]
Synonyms of 'weaken'
From: Moby Thesaurus
- abate,
- afflict,
- aggravate,
- allay,
- alleviate,
- assuage,
- attemper,
- attenuate,
- bank the fire,
- bate,
- beat,
- blunt,
- break,
- bugger,
- burn out,
- cave in,
- chasten,
- collapse,
- come apart,
- come unstuck,
- conk out,
- constrain,
- control,
- cramp,
- cripple,
- crumble,
- cut,
- damage,
- damp,
- dampen,
- de-emphasize,
- de-energize,
- deaden,
- debilitate,
- decline,
- dematerialize,
- derange,
- deteriorate,
- devitalize,
- dilapidate,
- dilute,
- diminish,
- disable,
- disedge,
- disembody,
- disenable,
- disintegrate,
- disorder,
- do in,
- do up,
- downplay,
- drain,
- draw the teeth,
- droop,
- drop,
- dull,
- dwindle,
- ease,
- emacerate,
- emaciate,
- emasculate,
- embitter,
- endamage,
- enervate,
- enfeeble,
- etherealize,
- eviscerate,
- exacerbate,
- exhaust,
- extenuate,
- fade,
- fag,
- fag out,
- fail,
- faint,
- fall short,
- fatigue,
- fizzle out,
- flag,
- frazzle,
- give out,
- give way,
- go downhill,
- go soft,
- go to pieces,
- gruel,
- hamstring,
- harass,
- harm,
- hit the skids,
- honeycomb,
- hors de combat,
- hospitalize,
- hurt,
- impair,
- inactivate,
- incapacitate,
- indispose,
- injure,
- invalid,
- irritate,
- jade,
- keep within bounds,
- kibosh,
- knock out,
- knock up,
- lame,
- languish,
- lay,
- lay low,
- lay up,
- lenify,
- lessen,
- lighten,
- lose strength,
- maim,
- make worse,
- minimize,
- mitigate,
- moderate,
- modulate,
- obtund,
- overfatigue,
- overset,
- overstrain,
- overthrow,
- overtire,
- overturn,
- overweary,
- palliate,
- paralyze,
- peak,
- peg out,
- peter out,
- pine,
- play down,
- poop,
- poop out,
- prostrate,
- put,
- put back,
- queer,
- queer the works,
- rarefy,
- rattle,
- reduce,
- reduce the temperature,
- remit,
- repress,
- restrain,
- retund,
- run down,
- sabotage,
- sap,
- sap the foundations,
- shake,
- shake up,
- shrink,
- sicken,
- sink,
- slacken,
- slow down,
- smother,
- sober,
- sober down,
- soften,
- soften up,
- spike,
- spiritualize,
- stifle,
- subdue,
- subtilize,
- subvert,
- suppress,
- tame,
- temper,
- thin,
- thin away,
- thin down,
- thin out,
- throw down,
- throw over,
- tire,
- tire out,
- tire to death,
- tone down,
- tucker,
- tune down,
- turn,
- unbrace,
- undermine,
- underplay,
- unfit,
- unman,
- unnerve,
- unstrengthen,
- unstring,
- upend,
- upset,
- use up,
- wane,
- waste,
- waste away,
- water,
- water down,
- wear,
- wear away,
- wear down,
- wear on,
- wear out,
- wear thin,
- weary,
- wilt,
- wind,
- wing,
- wither,
- wither away,
- worsen,
- wreck,
- yield