Affaiblir

Affaiblir is a French verb meaning to weaken or reduce the strength, power, or effectiveness of someone or something. It is transitive, typically taking a direct object, and is used to describe making something less capable, robust, or resilient.

Conjugation and forms follow the standard pattern of the second-group -ir verbs. In the present indicative: j'affaiblis, tu affaiblis, il affaiblit; nous affaiblissons, vous affaiblissez, ils affaiblissent. The passé composé uses the auxiliary avoir: j'ai affaibli, tu as affaibli, il a affaibli. Other tenses follow the regular -ir pattern, such as imperfect affaiblissais, affaiblissait; future affaiblirai, affaibliras, affaiblira; conditional affaiblirais; present subjunctive que j'affaiblisse; present participle affaiblissant; past participle affaibli.

Étymologie: the verb derives from the adjective faible (weak) with a prefixed form, historically from Old French affaiblir. The prefix aff- signals causation or intensification of the action.

Usage notes: affaiblir is primarily transitive, as in affaiblir une économie, un système de défense, ou les défenses immunitaires. It contrasts with faiblir, which can mean to become weaker or to fade, often intransitively. Related forms include l'affaiblissement (the weakening) and the present participle affaiblissant.

Examples: La crise a affaibli l'économie. Un traitement peut affaiblir les symptômes. Dans le domaine militaire, affaiblir les défenses peut réduire la capacité d'un adversaire.