enervated

Enervated is an adjective meaning lacking in energy, vitality, or vigor; rendered weak or drained of strength. It can describe a person, a body part, or an abstract force such as morale or resolve. The related verb enervate means to weaken or debilitate.

Enervate comes from Latin enervare, literally “to deprive of the nerve” or “to weaken,” from in- “in” plus nervus “nerve.” The word entered English in the early modern period and is used in formal or literary contexts.

In medical or descriptive language, enervated refers to physical weakness resulting from illness, fatigue, heat, or exertion. Metaphorically, it can describe diminished willpower or enthusiasm. In contemporary usage, the term is relatively formal and may be replaced by weakened, fatigued, or debilitated. Enervating is the present participle and describes something that causes weakness, such as an enervating heat or an enervating workload.

Examples: The arduous journey left the travelers enervated. The prolonged illness had enervated him so that daily tasks felt exhausting. A sense of cynicism can enervate a team’s spirit, whereas renewed purpose can invigorate it.

See also: enervation, enervate.