enfeeble

Enfeeble is a transitive verb meaning to cause to become weak or feeble; to deprive of strength, energy, or vitality. The term can describe physical weakness, diminished health, or the weakening of systems, institutions, or morale. In usage, enfeeble often conveys gradual or thorough impairment rather than a sudden change.

Usage notes: Enfeeble is more formal and literary than everyday synonyms such as weaken or debilitate. It is typically used with a direct object: “the illness enfeebled him”; “prolonged fatigue enfeebled her.” It can also describe abstract effects, as in “a scandal enfeebled public confidence.” The past participle form is enfeebled and the present participle is enfeebling.

Etymology: The word is built from the prefix en- plus feeble, forming from Middle English enfeeblen; the en- indicates causing to be, a productive pattern in English for turning adjectives into verbs.

See also: enfeeblement, debilitate, weaken. Enfeeble is most common in formal, literary, or historical contexts and may carry a somewhat archaic or solemn tone when describing weakening of health, strength, or institutions. It emphasizes a process of loss rather than a single act of diminishment. Examples remain widely understood in modern usage, though speakers often choose weaker synonyms in everyday English.