enervate
/i'nə:vit/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Verb:
- To weaken or drain of strength, energy, or vitality: To cause someone or something to feel drained, feeble, or lacking in physical or mental vigor.
- To undermine the strength or morale of: To reduce the resilience, courage, or moral fiber of a person or group.
Examples of Usage
- Verb:
- The intense heat and humidity began to enervate the hikers, slowing their progress.
- Constant criticism can enervate an employee's enthusiasm and creativity.
- A diet lacking in essential nutrients will enervate the body over time.
Advanced Usage
- "to enervate the spirit": to depress or weaken one's emotional or psychological resolve.
- The endless bureaucratic hurdles served only to enervate the spirit of the volunteers.
- Used in a medical or physiological context: to describe the effect of a disease or condition.
- The chronic illness enervated his muscles, making even simple tasks difficult.
Variants and Related Words
- Enervating (adj): causing one to feel drained of energy; weakening.
- The enervating climate made it hard to stay active.
- Enervation (n): a state of being drained of energy or vitality; weakness.
- He felt a profound sense of enervation after the long illness.
Synonyms
- Debilitate: to make weak or feeble.
- Sap: to gradually weaken or drain (strength, power, etc.).
- Weaken: to reduce the strength, intensity, or effectiveness of.
- Exhaust: to drain of strength or energy completely.
Antonyms
- Invigorate: to fill with life and energy.
- Strengthen: to make or become stronger.
- Energize: to give energy and enthusiasm to.
Notes on Usage
- Caution: Do not confuse "enervate" with "energize." They are near-antonyms. "Enervate" means to weaken, while "energize" means to give energy.
- Tone: The word often carries a formal or literary tone and is frequently used to describe a gradual, sapping process rather than a sudden loss of strength.
Verb
- disturb the composure of
- weaken mentally or morally