WEAKEN: Synonyms and Related Words. What is Another Word for WEAKEN?

Need another word that means the same as “weaken”? Find 58 synonyms and 30 related words for “weaken” in this overview.

The synonyms of “Weaken” are: break, damp, dampen, soften, de-escalate, step down, counteract, countermine, sabotage, subvert, undermine, enfeeble, debilitate, incapacitate, sap one's strength, enervate, tire, exhaust, wear out, reduce, decrease, diminish, lessen, moderate, temper, sap, dilute, water down, thin, blunt, mitigate, deplete, soften up, abate, dwindle, ease up, let up, trail off, wane, ebb, subside, peter out, melt away, fizzle out, taper off, tail off, grow dim, grow faint, impair, compromise, relent, give in, acquiesce, yield, give way, accede, succumb, come round

Weaken as a Verb

Definitions of "Weaken" as a verb

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “weaken” as a verb can have the following definitions:

• Reduce the level or intensity or size or scope of.
• Destroy property or hinder normal operations.
• Become weaker.
• Make or become weaker in power, resolve, or physical strength.
• Lessen the strength of.
• Lessen in force or effect.

Synonyms of "Weaken" as a verb (58 Words)

abate	Become less in amount or intensity. Nothing abated his crusading zeal.
accede	Yield to another’s wish or opinion. By now John had died and Henry III had acceded.
acquiesce	Accept something reluctantly but without protest. Sara acquiesced in his decision.
blunt	Make dull or blunt. Blunt the knives.
break	Become fractured break or crack on the surface only. Dawn was just breaking.
come round	Cover a certain distance.
compromise	Make a compromise arrive at a compromise. Last month s leak of source code will not compromise your IT security.
counteract	Oppose or check by a counteraction. Should we deliberately intervene in the climate system to counteract global warming.
countermine	Dig a countermine against. They countermined the enemies mines so that sometimes they fought hand to hand underground.
damp	Lessen in force or effect. Concrete structures damp out any vibrations.
dampen	Lessen in force or effect. Nothing could dampen her enthusiasm.
de-escalate	Reduce the level or intensity or size or scope of.
debilitate	Make weak. He was severely debilitated by a stomach upset.
decrease	Decrease in size extent or range. He decreased his staff.
deplete	Diminish in number or quantity. Reservoirs have been depleted by years of drought.
dilute	Reduce the value of (a shareholding) by issuing more shares in a company without increasing the values of its assets. Bleach can be diluted with cold water.
diminish	Make or become less. The pain will gradually diminish.
dwindle	Become smaller or lose substance. Her savings dwindled down.
ease up	Lessen pain or discomfort; alleviate.
ebb	Hem in fish with stakes and nets so as to prevent them from going back into the sea with the ebb. The tide began to ebb.
enervate	Disturb the composure of. The heat enervated us all.
enfeeble	Make weak. Sickness had enfeebled me.
exhaust	Make (someone) feel very tired. Her day out had exhausted her.
fizzle out	To state openly and publicly one’s homosexuality.
give in	Consent to engage in sexual intercourse with a man.
give way	Afford access to.
grow dim	Develop and reach maturity; undergo maturation.
grow faint	Grow emotionally or mature.
impair	Weaken or damage (something, especially a faculty or function. A noisy job could permanently impair their hearing.
incapacitate	Injure permanently. He was incapacitated by a heart attack.
lessen	Wear off or die down. The warmth of the afternoon lessened.
let up	Cause to move; cause to be in a certain position or condition.
melt away	Become more relaxed, easygoing, or genial.
mitigate	Lessen or to try to lessen the seriousness or extent of. There had been a provocation that mitigated the offence to a degree.
moderate	Lessen the intensity of; temper; hold in restraint; hold or keep within limits. The weather has moderated considerably.
peter out	To state openly and publicly one’s homosexuality.
reduce	Reduce in size reduce physically. Reduce an image.
relent	Give in, as to influence or pressure. She was going to refuse his request but relented.
sabotage	Destroy property or hinder normal operations. Power lines from South Africa were sabotaged by rebel forces.
sap	Deplete. Her illness had sapped her of energy and life.
sap one's strength	Deplete.
soften	Make (images or sounds) soft or softer. Soften a shock.
soften up	Make less severe or harsh.
step down	Cause (a computer) to execute a single command.
subside	Wear off or die down. The valleys subside.
subvert	Destroy completely. Subvert the ruling class.
succumb	Die from the effect of a disease or injury. After a few blows there the porcupine succumbs.
tail off	Remove or shorten the tail of an animal.
taper off	Diminish gradually.
temper	Make more temperate acceptable or suitable by adding something else. The way a smith would temper a sword.
thin	Make thin or thinner. The trees began to thin out.
tire	Exhaust or get tired through overuse or great strain or stress. The proof of a great story is that people never tire of retelling it.
trail off	Move, proceed, or walk draggingly or slowly.
undermine	Hollow out as if making a cave or opening. The flow of water had undermined pillars supporting the roof.
wane	(of a state or feeling) decrease in vigour or extent; become weaker. Interest in the project waned.
water down	Secrete or form water, as tears or saliva.
wear out	Be dressed in.
yield	Produce or provide (a natural, agricultural, or industrial product. The land yields grapes and tobacco.

Usage Examples of "Weaken" as a verb

• The fever weakened his body.
• Fault lines had weakened and shattered the rocks.
• The prisoner's resistance weakened after seven days.
• His resistance had weakened.

Associations of "Weaken" (30 Words)

adulterate	Corrupt, debase, or make impure by adding a foreign or inferior substance; often by replacing valuable ingredients with inferior ones. Adulterate remedies.
attenuate	Reduce the force, effect, or value of. The first live vaccine was insufficiently attenuated and produced a significant disease.
dampen	Reduce the amplitude of (a sound source. The fine rain dampened her face.
deaden	Make (someone) insensitive to something. Diabetes can deaden the nerve endings.
debilitate	Hinder, delay, or weaken. Hard drugs destroy families and debilitate communities.
decline	A condition inferior to an earlier condition; a gradual falling off from a better state. This Evening from the Sun s decline arriv d.
dilute	Lessen the strength or flavor of a solution or mixture. Diluted alcohol.
diminish	Make or become less. The pain will gradually diminish.
diminished	Diminished in size or strength as a result of disease or injury or lack of use. A diminished role for local government.
emasculate	Deprive of strength or vigor. In his mind her success emasculated him.
enervate	Make (someone) feel drained of energy or vitality. The heat enervated us all.
enfeeble	Make weak or feeble. The breakdown in law and order enfeebled the government s authority.
fading	Weakening in force or intensity.
fatigued	Drained of energy or effectiveness; extremely tired; completely exhausted.
flagging	Flagstones collectively. She wants to revive her flagging career.
hydrolyze	Undergo hydrolysis; decompose by reacting with water.
impotent	Unable to take effective action; helpless or powerless. Felt impotent rage.
languid	(of a period of time) relaxed and peaceful. A languid wave of the hand.
languish	Fail to make progress or be successful. She still languished after Richard.
lessen	Wear off or die down. The years have lessened the gap in age between us.
rarefy	Lessen the density or solidity of. As the shell continues to expand and rarefy astronomers may eventually be able to see characteristic gamma rays from the radioactivity within.
reduce	Reduce in scope while retaining essential elements. She reduced her niece to a servant.
reduced	Well below normal (especially in price.
sabotage	Destroy property or hinder normal operations. A coordinated campaign of sabotage.
slowly	Without speed slow is sometimes used informally for slowly. He spoke slowly.
thinner	A diluting agent. Dampen a clean rag with thinners and carefully wipe any remaining dust from the timber.
undermine	Lessen the effectiveness, power, or ability of, especially gradually or insidiously. The flow of water had undermined pillars supporting the roof.
unsettle	Disturb the composure of. The crisis has unsettled financial markets.
wane	Grow smaller. Interest in his novels waned.
wither	Wither as with a loss of moisture. It is not true that old myths either die or wither away.