WEAKEN


Meaning of WEAKEN in English

transcription, транскрипция: [ wi:kən ]

( weakens, weakening, weakened)

Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English.

1.

If you weaken something or if it weakens , it becomes less strong or less powerful.

The recession has weakened so many firms that many can no longer survive...

Family structures are weakening and breaking up.

≠ strengthen

VERB : V n , V

2.

If your resolve weakens or if something weakens it, you become less determined or less certain about taking a particular course of action that you had previously decided to take.

Jennie weakened, and finally relented...

The verdict hasn’t weakened his resolve to fight the charges against him.

VERB : V , V n

3.

If something weakens you, it causes you to lose some of your physical strength.

Malnutrition obviously weakens the patient.

VERB : V n

4.

If something weakens an object, it does something to it which causes it to become less firm and more likely to break.

A bomb blast had weakened an area of brick on the back wall...

VERB : V n

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary.      Английский словарь Коллинз COBUILD для изучающих язык на продвинутом уровне.