weaken

[ wee-kuhn ]
See synonyms for weaken on Thesaurus.com
verb (used with object)
  1. to make weak or weaker.

  2. Phonetics. to change (a speech sound) to an articulation requiring less effort, as from geminate to nongeminate or from stop to fricative.

verb (used without object)
  1. to become weak or weaker.

Origin of weaken

1
First recorded in 1520–30; weak + -en1

Other words for weaken

Opposites for weaken

Other words from weaken

  • weak·en·er, noun
  • re·weak·en, verb
  • un·weak·ened, adjective
  • un·weak·en·ing, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for weaken

weaken

/ (ˈwiːkən) /


verb
  1. to become or cause to become weak or weaker

Derived forms of weaken

  • weakener, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012