enervate

Enervate is a verb meaning to cause someone or something to feel drained of energy or vitality; to reduce the strength, vigor, or mental focus of a person or group. It can describe physical exhaustion, psychological debilitation, or moral weakening. The word is transitive (to enervate someone or something) and can appear as enervated or enervating in different forms.

Etymology: From Latin enervare, meaning “to deprive of nerve or strength,” from ex- “out” + nervus “nerve.” The noun enervation denotes the act or result of enervating; the adjectives enervating and enervated describe things that cause or suffer such weakening.

Usage: In usage, enervate tends to be formal or literary. It often describes gradual or severe draining of energy, whether physical or psychological. Common collocations include enervating heat, an enervating routine, or an enervated workforce. Antonyms include invigorate, energize, strengthen. The word is sometimes confused with debilitate, but enervate emphasizes the loss of energy or vitality more than a broad sense of weakness.

Examples: The long trek enervated the travelers. The heat enervated the campers. A lengthy speech can be enervating to an audience. The effect of the storm was to enervate the city, leaving crews exhausted and roads hazardous.