“weakens” is a form of
weaken
/ˈwikən/ verb
Forms weakens weakening weakened
- verb (transitive) To make weaker or less strong. “weaken a bond”
- verb (intransitive) To become weaker or less strong. “Over the years my enthusiasm for the job has weakened.”
Synonyms
emasculate attenuate blunt break down dilute enfeeble hebetate sag sabotage undermine countermine counteract subvert de-escalate step down dampen damp soften break
Antonyms
Etymology
From weak + -en.
Webster’s 1913
- verb To make weak; to lessen the strength of; to deprive of strength; to debilitate; to enfeeble; to enervate; as, to weaken the body or the mind; to weaken the hands of a magistrate; to weaken the force of an objection or an argument.
- verb To reduce in quality, strength, or spirit; as, to weaken tea; to weaken any solution or decoction.
- verb To become weak or weaker; to lose strength, spirit, or determination; to become less positive or resolute; as, the patient weakened; the witness weakened on cross-examination. "His notion weakens, his discernings are lethargied." Shak.
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “weaken”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details