English edit

Etymology edit

Latin debilitatus, past participle of debilitare (to weaken, debilitate), from the adjective debilis (weak), from de- + habilis (able) (de- +‎ ability +‎ -ate).

Pronunciation edit

  • (UK) IPA(key): /dɪˈbɪlɪteɪt/
  • (file)
  • (US) IPA(key): /dəˈbɪləteɪt/

Verb edit

debilitate (third-person singular simple present debilitates, present participle debilitating, simple past and past participle debilitated)

  1. (transitive) To make feeble; to weaken.
    The American Dream suffered a debilitating effect after the subprime crisis.
    • 2015 March 12, Daniel Taylor, “Chelsea out of Champions League after Thiago Silva sends 10-man PSG through on away goals”, in The Guardian (London)[1]:
      Twice, they found themselves behind, seemingly on their way out, and on both occasions they absolutely refused to let their lack of numbers debilitate them.
    Synonyms: enervate, enfeeble, weaken

Related terms edit

Translations edit

See also edit

Further reading edit

Interlingua edit

Noun edit

debilitate (plural debilitates)

  1. weakness

Italian edit

Etymology 1 edit

Verb edit

debilitate

  1. inflection of debilitare:
    1. second-person plural present indicative
    2. second-person plural imperative

Etymology 2 edit

Participle edit

debilitate f pl

  1. feminine plural of debilitato

Latin edit

Verb edit

dēbilitāte

  1. second-person plural present active imperative of dēbilitō

Romanian edit

Etymology edit

Borrowed from French débilité. Equivalent to debil +‎ -itate.

Noun edit

debilitate f (plural debilități)

  1. debility

Declension edit

Spanish edit

Verb edit

debilitate

  1. second-person singular voseo imperative of debilitar combined with te