make weak

Meanings

1. 1phrasetransitive

   To cause someone or something to become less strong, healthy, or able to work well.

   Grammar: Takes an object: make someone weak, make something weak.

   Patterns

   • make someone weak
   • make something weak
   • make someone weak with something

   The long illness made him weak and unable to walk far.

   Too much heat can make the material weak and easy to break.

2. 2phrasetransitive

   To make an argument, position, or system less effective or less convincing.

   Grammar: Takes an object: make a case weak, make a system weak.

   Patterns

   • make something weak
   • make an argument weak

   The new evidence made their case weak in court.

   Cutting the budget made the program weak and unpopular.

Common combinations

make someone weak with hunger

The refugees were made weak with hunger after weeks without food.

make a currency weak

High inflation can make a currency weak against the dollar.

make a team weak

Losing their best player made the team weak in defense.

Synonyms and how they differ

weaken

A single verb that means the same; it is more formal and often preferred in writing.

debilitate

Stronger and more formal; it suggests making someone very weak, often because of illness.

Opposites

Word family

weak adjective

Not strong or healthy.

weakness noun

The state of being weak.

weaken verb

To become or make weak.

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “make weak”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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