Dictionary

weaken en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /ˈwikən/ (US)
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From weak + -en.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To make weaker or less strong.
   • weaken a joint
   • weaken a bond
2. (intransitive) To become weaker or less strong.
   • My friends, we are confronted with a serious situation. But it is typical of the security problems of the world today. Powerful and aggressive forces are constantly probing, now here, now there, to see whether the free world is weakened. In the face of this, there are no easy choices available. It is misleading for anyone to imply that there are. However, the present situation, though serious, is by no means desperate or hopeless. 1958, President Dwight Eisenhower, 3:06 from the start, in President Eisenhower Speaks On The Formosa Situation (1958), British Pathé:
   • Over the years my enthusiasm for the job has weakened.

Forms

Deriveds

weakener · reweaken · enweaken · weaken up

Synonyms

enfeeble · hebetate · break down · emasculate · sag · blunt · dilute · attenuate

Translations (105)

uk осла́бнути (to become weaker) · nl verzwakken (to become weaker) · bg ослабям (to make weaker) · mi tāmōmō (to make weaker) · ang untrumian (to become weaker) · rup slãghescu (to become weaker) · pt enfraquecer (to become weaker) · ja 衰える (to become weaker) · mi ngongohe (to become weaker) · uk сла́бшати (to become weaker) · fi heiketä (to become weaker) · la labefactō (to make weaker) · tr dayanıksızlaşmak (to become weaker) · ca afeblir-se (to become weaker) · gd lagaich (to make weaker) · ru ослабе́ть (to become weaker) · mi whakaruhi (to make weaker) · uk сла́бнути (to become weaker) · ru слабе́ть (to become weaker) · de schwächeln (to become weaker) · nl verzwakken (to make weaker) · io debileskar (to become weaker) · lv vājināt (to make weaker) · it indebolirsi (to become weaker) · mi whakaiwikore (to make weaker) · be асла́біць (to make weaker) · es debilitarse (to become weaker) · bg отслабвам (to become weaker) · zza taqet ra finen (to make weaker) · mi whakangoikore (to make weaker) · ru осла́бнуть (to become weaker) · es languir (to make weaker) · uk ослаба́ти (to become weaker) · es debilitar (to make weaker) · ca debilitar (to make weaker) · ca afeblir (to make weaker) · tr zayıflamak (to become weaker) · la infirmo (to make weaker) · cmn 減弱 /减弱 (to make weaker) · az zəiflətmək (to make weaker) · it indebolire (to make weaker) · es languecer (to become weaker) · tr zayıflatmak (to make weaker) · tr güçsüzleşmek (to become weaker) · az zəifləmək (to become weaker) · cmn 減弱 /减弱 (to become weaker) · sv försvagas (to become weaker) · uk посла́битися (to become weaker) · de abschwächen (to make weaker) · sv mattas (to become weaker) · pl bezsilnieć (to become weaker) · cmn 削弱 (to make weaker) · tr kuvvetsizleşmek (to become weaker) · sv försvaga (to make weaker) · hu gyengít (to make weaker) · la ēnervō (to make weaker) · he החליש (to make weaker) · pl osłabiać (to make weaker) · mn сулрах (to become weaker) · fi heikentyä (to become weaker) · ja 弱くする (to make weaker) · cs oslabit (to make weaker) · gd lagaich (to become weaker) · mi whakamakuhane (to make weaker) · gl esmorecer (to become weaker) · pl słabnąć (to become weaker) · sa जासयति (to make weaker) · tr güçsüzleştirmek (to make weaker) · it spossare (to make weaker) · uk посла́блюватися (to become weaker) · fr affaiblir (to make weaker) · la infirmor (to become weaker) · tr kuvvetsizleştirmek (to make weaker) · uk посла́блювати (to make weaker) · uk слабі́ти (to become weaker) · tr dayanıksızlaştırmak (to make weaker) · mg manalemy (to make weaker) · sw dhii (to make weaker) · ca debilitar-se (to become weaker) · fr s'affaiblir (to become weaker) · bg правя слаб (to make weaker) · ja 弱気になる (to become weaker) · ru ослабева́ть (to become weaker) · ang untrumian (to make weaker) · es languidecer (to become weaker) · mi kōngenge (to become weaker) · la debilito (to make weaker) · fi heikentää (to make weaker) · uk осла́бти (to become weaker) · gl desfalecer (to become weaker) · mi taero (to become weaker) · hu gyengül (to become weaker) · pl osłabić (to make weaker) · pl osłabnąć (to become weaker) · de schwächen (to make weaker) · mi whakaeo (to make weaker) · ru осла́бить (to make weaker) · pt enfraquecer (to make weaker) · ro slăbi (to become weaker) · uk послабля́ти (to make weaker) · ja 弱くなる (to become weaker) · uk посла́бити (to make weaker) · ru ослабля́ть (to make weaker) · cmn 削弱 (to become weaker) · be аслабля́ць (to make weaker)