enervates

verb

present tense third-person singular of enervate
1
as in undermines
to deprive of emotional or intellectual vitality a lifetime of working in dreary jobs had enervated his very soul

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in weakens
to diminish the physical strength of the surgery really enervated me for weeks afterwards

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for enervates
  1. undermines
  2. weakens
  3. exhausts
  4. softens
  5. deadens
  6. drains
  7. petrifies
Verb
  • Side effects Clozapine’s most notable adverse effect is agranulocytosis, in which an extreme reduction of white blood cells, particularly neutrophils, undermines the body’s ability to defend against infection.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Self-awareness bolsters leadership while self-surveillance nearly always undermines it.
    — Carol Geffner, Forbes.com, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of undermines
Verb
  • Narrowing the spread also weakens the incentive to steer patients toward costlier drugs and to acquire physician practices and infusion clinics — the very behaviors that have made care more expensive.
    — Casey B. Mulligan, STAT, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Research shows that people who share their goals publicly are less likely to achieve them, since talking about them creates a premature sense of accomplishment and weakens the drive to do the work.
    — Ben Meer, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of weakens
Verb
  • If the low-breadth market finally exhausts itself and rolls over, your capital at risk is mathematically capped at that 3%.
    — Michael Khouw, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2026
  • If a bureaucratic process exhausts whatever time a citizen has available, then benefits are lost or rights are denied.
    — Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of exhausts
Verb
  • If buyers have already seen your ad several times, engagement softens, giving the platform another reason to show something else.
    — Matt Jayson, Forbes.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Meanwhile, hyaluronic acid draws moisture into skin for a more immediate plumping effect that softens the appearance of lines.
    — Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of softens
Verb
  • Oppressively hot, lie-down-and-take-a-nap hot, hydration-break hot, the kind of hot that deadens feet.
    — Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 10 July 2026
Definition of deadens
Verb
  • Until, suddenly, the life drains from his eyes, sometimes for barely a second, and returning before anyone else in the scene notices.
    — Clayton Davis, Variety, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The all-in-one dock cleans the spinning dual mops with hot water, dries them with warm air to prevent musty smells, and automatically drains and refills the water tank.
    — Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of drains
Verb
  • Here, a source of primordial terror—the gaze that petrifies—is deflected by way of the highly polished shield that Perseus wields against the creature.
    — Jan Tumlir, Artforum, 5 Aug. 2026
  • The former slingshots between harmony and hysteria; the latter petrifies its beauty under a haze of ashy gray powder.
    — Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 28 Nov. 2025
Definition of petrifies
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Cite this Entry

“Enervates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/enervates. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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