debilitar

Debilitar is a Spanish verb meaning to weaken or to sap strength, whether physically, mentally, or institutionally. It is transitive and often used with a direct object, as in debilitar a alguien or debilitar una economía. It can also be reflexive in the form debilitars e to indicate a process of weakening oneself or something becoming weaker, as in debilitarse.

Etymology and scope: the word comes from Latin debilitare, from debilis meaning weak, and is cognate with the English de- bilitate. In modern Spanish, the term covers medical, physical, social, and political contexts, including efforts to undermine or erode strength or stability.

Conjugation and forms: debilitar is a regular -ar verb. Present indicative forms include debilito, debilitas, debilita, debilitamos, debilitáis, debilitan. The gerund is debilitando, and the past participle is debilitado. The verb also appears in other tenses and moods through standard -ar conjugation patterns, for example, debilité, debilitaste, debilitó in the preterite, and debilitaba in the imperfect. The object can be explicit with a or an indirect object through constructions such as “debilitar a alguien.”

Usage notes: physically, a disease or fatigue can debilitar someone; politically or economically, policies or sanctions can debilitar a state or system. The reflexive form debilitars​e describes decay or weakening of oneself or one’s condition, as in se debilitó con la enfermedad.

Synonyms and antonyms: synonyms include minar, deteriorar, or debilitar itself in different contexts; antonyms include fortalecer, fortificar, and reforzar.