Standard Lemma guide

enervate

adj · verb · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˈɛn.ə(ɹ).vət/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • obsolete: /iːˈnɜːɹveɪt/
  • UK: /ˌɛn.ə(ɹ)ˈveɪt/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Made feeble; weakened.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To reduce strength or energy; debilitate.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • After being laid off three times in a row, she felt too enervated to look for another job.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To weaken morally or mentally.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To partially or completely remove a nerve.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncommon

Topics: medicine, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: denervate, deinnervate

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

weaken mentally or morally

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: weaken

6

verb

Meaning 6

disturb the composure of

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: faze, unnerve, unsettle

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: upset, discompose, untune, disconcert, discomfit

Narrower terms: unman

History

Etymology

From Latin ēnervātus, past participle of ēnervō (“to weaken”).

Across languages

Translations

20 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: обезсилвам (obezsilvam) — to reduce strength or energy
  • Bulgarian: омаломощавам (omalomoštavam) — to reduce strength or energy
  • Czech: vyčerpat — to reduce strength or energy
  • Czech: zeslabit — to reduce strength or energy
  • Danish: svække — to reduce strength or energy
  • Dutch: verzwakken — to reduce strength or energy
  • Finnish: heikentää — to reduce strength or energy
  • French: affaiblir — to reduce strength or energy
  • German: schwächen — to reduce strength or energy
  • Greek: αποχαυνώνω (apochavnóno) — to reduce strength or energy
  • Khmer: ធ្វើឲ្យអស់កម្លាំង (tvəə aoy ɑh kam leang) — to reduce strength or energy
  • Māori: whakaruhi — to reduce strength or energy
  • Portuguese: debilitar — to reduce strength or energy
  • Portuguese: enfraquecer — to reduce strength or energy
  • Russian: обесси́ливать (obessílivatʹ) — to reduce strength or energy
  • Russian: обесси́лить (obessílitʹ) — to reduce strength or energy
  • Spanish: enervar — to reduce strength or energy
  • Swedish: försvaga — to reduce strength or energy
  • Czech: zeslabit — to weaken morally or mentally
  • Spanish: enervar — to weaken morally or mentally