devitalize
/di:'vaitəlaiz/ Cách viết khác : (devitalize) /di:'vaitəlaiz/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Verb:
- To deprive of life, vitality, or vigor; to weaken or make less active: The primary meaning refers to the act of removing the essential energy, force, or vitality from a person, system, or entity, causing it to become weak, inert, or less effective.
Usage and Examples
- General Usage: The verb "devitalize" is typically used in formal or academic contexts to describe the process of draining strength or essential qualities.
- The prolonged illness devitalized his body, leaving him bedridden.
- Constant bureaucratic hurdles can devitalize an innovative project.
- Specific Context (Economy/Systems): Often used to describe the weakening effect on abstract systems like economies, organizations, or movements.
- The new regulations threatened to devitalize the small business sector.
- Corruption has devitalized the nation's political institutions.
Advanced Usage and Nuances
- In Medical or Biological Contexts: Can describe processes that remove vitality from tissues or organisms.
- The procedure is designed to devitalize the diseased tissue before removal.
- Figurative Use: Applied to ideas, cultures, or artistic movements to indicate a loss of original energy or spirit.
- Some critics argue that commercial success devitalized the raw energy of the underground music scene.
Variants and Related Words
- Devitalization (noun): The process or result of being devitalized.
- The devitalization of the soil was due to over-farming.
- Devitalized (adjective): Describing something that has lost its vitality.
- The devitalized neighborhood struggled to attract new residents.
Synonyms
- Enervate: To cause to feel drained of energy or vitality.
- Debilitate: To make weak or infirm.
- Sap: To gradually weaken or drain (often used with 'strength' or 'energy').
- Weaken: To reduce the strength or effectiveness of.
Antonyms
- Invigorate: To fill with life and energy.
- Vitalize: To endow with vitality or life.
- Strengthen: To make or become stronger.
- Energize: To give energy or enthusiasm to.
Related Phrases and Constructions
- To devitalize something/someone: The standard construction.
- The aim of the propaganda was to devitalize the opposition movement.
- Devitalizing effect/influence: Used to describe the nature of an action or factor.
- The leader's indecision had a devitalizing effect on the team's morale.
Verb
- sap of life or energy
- The recession devitalized the economy