DEBILITATE


Meaning of DEBILITATE in English

(~s, debilitating, ~d)

1.

If you are ~d by something such as an illness, it causes your body or mind to become gradually weaker. (FORMAL)

Stewart took over yesterday when Russell was ~d by a stomach virus.

VERB: usu passive, be V-ed by n

debilitating

...a debilitating illness.

ADJ

~d

Occasionally a patient is so ~d that he must be fed intravenously.

ADJ

2.

To ~ an organization, society, or government means to gradually make it weaker. (FORMAL)

...their efforts to ~ the political will of the Western alliance.

VERB: V n

debilitating

...years of debilitating economic crisis.

ADJ

~d

...the ~d ruling party.

ADJ

Collins COBUILD.      Толковый словарь английского языка для изучающих язык Коллинз COBUILD (международная база данных языков Бирмингемского университета) .