1
as in to undermine
to deprive of emotional or intellectual vitality
a lifetime of working in dreary jobs had enervated his very soul
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to weaken
to diminish the physical strength of
the surgery really enervated me for weeks afterwards
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in feeble
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of enervate
Cameron Hilditch, National Review, 28 Feb. 2021
The saving grace of this often enervating thriller is that Doscher grants time for his actors to build character and intimacy, and both Pinto and Odom offer warm, affectingly natural performances as two people facing the end of their world.
—Teo Bugbee, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2020
To a great extent, that reflects the endless, enervating nature of the Brexit debate.
—Mark Landler, New York Times, 31 Jan. 2020
Jack’s enervating recovery in The Way Back is full of drab, predictable pathos instead of the stylized drama in Dawn of Justice.
—Armond White, National Review, 6 Mar. 2020
Perhaps the most intimate of these photographs presents her after a shower, wet and enervated, rubbing a cloth across her reflection in a mirror, as though the condensation were crud.
—Eren Orbey, The New Yorker, 6 Feb. 2020
Then again, enervating her supporters has been Madonna’s M.O. in recent years.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 3 July 2019
But the art which resists the slow sap of a chronic disease—which repairs frames enervated by lust, swollen by gluttony, or inflamed by wine . .
—Chris Pope, WSJ, 17 Mar. 2019
Such behavior is particularly enervating when the West aims to bring new countries into permanent and universal—that is, Western-style—guarantees of security and systems of relations.
—I. William Zartman, WSJ, 24 June 2018
Verb
This relationship, when successful, tends to enervate mediating institutions that thwart the immediate desires of both the populist leader and the public.
—Cameron Hilditch, National Review, 28 Feb. 2021
The saving grace of this often enervating thriller is that Doscher grants time for his actors to build character and intimacy, and both Pinto and Odom offer warm, affectingly natural performances as two people facing the end of their world.
—Teo Bugbee, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2020
To a great extent, that reflects the endless, enervating nature of the Brexit debate.
—Mark Landler, New York Times, 31 Jan. 2020
Jack’s enervating recovery in The Way Back is full of drab, predictable pathos instead of the stylized drama in Dawn of Justice.
—Armond White, National Review, 6 Mar. 2020
Perhaps the most intimate of these photographs presents her after a shower, wet and enervated, rubbing a cloth across her reflection in a mirror, as though the condensation were crud.
—Eren Orbey, The New Yorker, 6 Feb. 2020
Then again, enervating her supporters has been Madonna’s M.O. in recent years.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 3 July 2019
But the art which resists the slow sap of a chronic disease—which repairs frames enervated by lust, swollen by gluttony, or inflamed by wine . .
—Chris Pope, WSJ, 17 Mar. 2019
Such behavior is particularly enervating when the West aims to bring new countries into permanent and universal—that is, Western-style—guarantees of security and systems of relations.
—I. William Zartman, WSJ, 24 June 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for enervate
Verb
-
The talks are set to take place amid concerns that the Kremlin is weaponizing ceasefire negotiations to delay and undermine negotiations for a settlement to the war.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
22 Mar. 2025
-
You will be expected to trust your agents, for the alternative would be micromanagement, and that would undermine the whole process.—
Jaron Lanier,
The New Yorker,
22 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
His health weakened by overwork and physical ailments, McCombs spent much of the last months of his life under medical care.—
arkansasonline.com,
arkansasonline.com,
22 Mar. 2025
-
The doctor added that recovery would best continue away from the hospital, where exposure to viruses risks weakening the Holy Father's condition.—
Danielle Wallace,
Fox News,
22 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
That relationship is given much more attention than the few mostly feeble and surface-level attempts at explaining teens today, despite what the series’ title might suggest.—
Shannon Keating,
Vulture,
20 Mar. 2025
-
Despite the feeble denials from the rare Republicans who dare face town hall meetings now, their budget outline also necessitates steep cuts in Medicaid, a safety net for 72 million Americans.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
19 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
With tennis becoming longer and more physical, best-of-five matches wreck players’ bodies, leaving them exhausted by the end of the tournament.—
Gavriella Epstein-Lightman,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Mar. 2025
-
Do my team members feel energized or exhausted by our culture?—
Nell Derick Debevoise,
Forbes,
20 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Walker Kessler’s 3-point barrage Words soften over time.—
Fred Katz,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
-
That eventually softened because of the relationships that grew over the 10 years that Cristina was on television.—
Patrick Gomez,
EW.com,
28 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Chirping at opposing fans after draining 3-pointers?—
Jay King,
New York Times,
27 Mar. 2025
-
But with Young draining a 3-pointer with 2:45 to play, the Hawks drew within 114-109.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
27 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
America’s morning television brightens the day but deadens the soul.—
Joel Golby,
airmail.news,
5 Oct. 2024
-
One way of deadening the mind to distractions is by blowing opponents off the court.—
Tim Ellis,
Forbes,
5 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
Enjoy a languid afternoon in the outdoor bathtub situated beneath a canopy of trees.—
Elise Taylor,
Vogue,
22 Mar. 2025
-
For the first time since 1986, St. John’s won both the Big East regular and conference tournament championships; the Red Storm packed Madison Square Garden all season and brought pizazz back to a New York City college basketball scene that felt languid for decades.—
Sean Gregory,
TIME,
20 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Enervate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/enervate. Accessed 4 Apr. 2025.
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