Meaning & use
weaken
To make or become less strong, effective, or able to resist pressure.
See it in a sentence
The medication is designed to weaken the virus so the immune system can fight it off.
Public support for the policy weakened after the scandal broke.
A note on using this word
Weaken works both transitively (to weaken something) and intransitively (support weakened), unlike some near-synonyms such as 'undermine,' which needs an object.
Words with a similar meaning
diminishundermine
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
Make it your own
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