weaken

verb

UK /ˈwiːkən/

Word Forms

present tense
I/you/we/they	weaken
he/she/it	weakens
present participle	weakening
past tense	weakened
past participle	weakened

1
intransitive/transitive to make someone physically less strong and healthy, or to become less strong and healthy
Stress can weaken the immune system.
She began to weaken after running for 8 miles.
Synonyms and related words
To cause someone to have an illness or feel ill
cause
give
pass on
1. 1a
  to make a structure more likely to break, or to become more likely to break
  Many buildings had already been weakened by last year’s storms.
  Synonyms and related words
  To become, or to make something weaker
  lessen
  reduce
  subside
  Synonyms and related words
  To damage or spoil something
  damage
  spoil
  mark
Collocates
Adverbs frequently used with weaken
▪ considerably, fatally, further, seriously, severely
2
intransitive/transitive to make someone or something less powerful or important, or to become less powerful or important
A peace deal between Israel and Lebanon would have weakened Syria’s influence in the region.
Synonyms and related words
To be unimportant
weaken
fade
lessen
3
transitive to make someone less determined or less certain
If your facts are wrong, that’s going to weaken your case.
weaken someone’s resolve/morale/resistance/spirit:
No amount of violence will weaken our resolve.
Synonyms and related words
To make someone feel disappointed or less hopeful
disappoint
let down
discourage
1. 3a
  intransitive if someone weakens about an opinion or a decision, they become less certain about it
  In the end I weakened and agreed to go.
  Synonyms and related words
  To change your opinion, attitudes or behaviour
  change your mind
  see reason/sense
  adapt
4
intransitive if prices weaken, they fall
Synonyms and related words
Price behaviour
bounce
come down
cool off

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