Synonyms of weakening

weakening 1 of 3

noun

as in deterioration

a gradual sinking and wasting away of mind or body

the all-too-apparent weakening of our grandfather was hard on our mother

Synonyms & Similar Words

• deterioration
• decay
• decline
• decaying
• degeneration
• debilitation
• exhaustion
• enfeeblement
• ebbing
• declension
• atrophy
• descent
• flagging
• drooping
• regression
• setback
• relapse
• limping

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• improvement
• recovery
• rehabilitation
• strengthening
• revitalization
• recuperation
• rally
• comeback
• progress
• snapback
• invigoration
• rejuvenation
• rejuvenescence

weakening

2 of 3

adjective

as in draining

Related Words

• draining
• debilitating
• deadening
• sapping
• injurious
• deleterious
• pernicious
• enfeebling
• exhausting
• enervating
• numbing
• wearying
• unhealthful
• unhealthy
• unwholesome
• noxious
• insalubrious

Dissimilar Words

• vital
• stimulating
• reviving
• bracing
• refreshing
• tonic
• cordial
• restorative
• stimulative
• rejuvenating
• vitalizing
• strengthening
• invigorating
• conditioning
• life-giving

weakening

3 of 3

verb

present participle of weaken

1

as in softening

to diminish the physical strength of

weeks of hardship in the desert had greatly weakened them

Synonyms & Similar Words

• softening
• wasting
• sapping
• damaging
• tiring
• hurting
• injuring
• debilitating
• exhausting
• enfeebling
• paralyzing
• crippling
• enervating
• impairing
• depleting
• devitalizing
• disabling
• harming
• prostrating
• depressing
• etiolating
• incapacitating
• impoverishing
• hamstringing
• grinding (down)
• invaliding
• laying up
• wearing out
• washing out
• unmanning
• wearing down
• breaking down

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• strengthening
• fortifying
• recruiting
• energizing
• invigorating
• hardening
• beefing (up)
• rejuvenating
• vitalizing
• seasoning
• toughening

2

as in fading

to lose bodily strength or vigor

the bodybuilder weakened once she eased off on her workouts

Synonyms & Similar Words

• fading
• sagging
• failing
• going
• sinking
• deteriorating
• decaying
• drooping
• lagging
• flagging
• withering
• wilting
• languishing
• wasting (away)
• emaciating
• rotting
• degenerating
• yielding
• wearing out
• breaking down
• running down

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• recovering
• rallying
• gaining
• recuperating
• rebounding
• convalescing

3

as in diluting

to alter (something) for the worse with the addition of foreign or lower-grade substances

weakened the juice with too much water

Synonyms & Similar Words

• diluting
• thinning
• cutting
• infecting
• loading
• poisoning
• polluting
• manipulating
• extending
• spoiling
• adulterating
• dirtying
• degrading
• tainting
• contaminating
• sophisticating
• corrupting
• lacing
• watering down
• soiling
• debasing
• cheapening
• misrepresenting
• tempering
• defiling
• fouling
• counterfeiting
• attenuating
• sullying
• falsifying
• spiking
• moderating
• tampering (with)
• befouling
• qualifying
• faking
• envenoming
• doctoring
• fudging

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• strengthening
• reinforcing
• enriching
• fortifying
• augmenting
• fertilizing
• supplementing
• improving
• purifying
• cleaning
• enhancing
• richening
• clarifying
• refining
• filtering
• cleansing
• purging
• flushing
• leaching
• larding
• distilling
• bettering
• pasteurizing
• concentrating
• decontaminating
• condensing
• compacting

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of weakening

Noun

This weakening of the trade winds then allows the warm water to flow towards the west coast of South America instead. — Matthew Villafane, CBS News, 28 Sep. 2026

By Wednesday next week, the moisture plume from the weakening storm will arrive in Arizona and New Mexico with the potential for flash floods and lingering tropical showers throughout the desert. — Sean MacAday, Sacbee.com, 23 Sep. 2026

The first sign that El Niño is developing is a weakening, or even reversal, of the tropical Pacific trade winds. — Steven Paton, The Conversation, 10 Sep. 2026

Maximum sustained winds have decreased to around 65 mph with higher gusts, and gradual weakening is forecast during the next few days, according to the hurricane center. — Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026

In an interview with CNBC on the sidelines of the G20 meeting, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Washington wouldn't object if Tokyo intervened to support a weakening yen. — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026

Forecasters said Lala would cross the waters of the marine national monument for a few days at hurricane strength despite some gradual weakening. — ABC News, 20 Aug. 2026

In 2024, the Fed acted decisively to get ahead of a weakening in the labor market, delivering a bold, half-point rate cut. — Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026

Bain said this exodus has mostly been driven by soaring prices and a weakening value proposition. — George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 13 Aug. 2026

Verb

While critics claim the court cases are politically motivated and aimed at weakening the opposition, the government insists the country’s judiciary is independent and free from political influence. — ABC News, 7 Oct. 2026

Those tasks had often depended on personal relationships rather than formal job requirements, and the researchers found those ties were weakening. — Bilin Lin, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026

Alarmingly, weakening the state’s building code isn’t the only policy change set to impact Maryland residents’ energy bills. — Tom Nyein, Baltimore Sun, 3 Oct. 2026

In a cash squeeze, leaders can cut marketing, talent or customer experience too deeply, weakening tomorrow’s growth. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 2 Oct. 2026

Deterioration is exacerbated if water reaches the steel rebar, corroding from inside the concrete mass and thereby weakening the integrity of the wall. — Jeffrey Weiss, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026

Those states’ experiences show that weakening graduation requirements reduces accountability for schools. — Neetu Arnold, Washington Post, 30 Sep. 2026

Forecast models show the remnants of weakening Hurricane Polo moving toward the New Mexico-Texas border on Tuesday, before surging northeast into portions of the Southern and Central Plains. — Kansas City Star, 28 Sep. 2026

The administration’s initiatives risk weakening food safety protections. — Stephanie Armour, Miami Herald, 28 Sep. 2026