Standard Lemma guide

weaken

verb · 7 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.

  • US: /ˈwikən/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -iːkən
  • CMU ARPABET: W IY1 K AH0 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To make weaker or less strong.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • weaken a bond
  • weaken a joint

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: emasculate

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To become weaker or less strong.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Examples

  • Over the years my enthusiasm for the job has weakened.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

become weaker

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The prisoner's resistance weakened after seven days

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: strengthen

Broader terms: decrease, diminish, lessen, fall

Narrower terms: attenuate, melt, disappear, evaporate, die down, collapse, fade, subside, lessen, blur, dim, slur, pine away, waste, languish, dull, pall, loosen, relax, loose, slacken, slow, slow down, slow up, slack, wilt

4

verb

Meaning 4

lessen the strength of

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The fever weakened his body

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: strengthen

Broader terms: change, alter, modify

Narrower terms: de-energize, de-energise, break, devitalize, devitalise, shake, depress, unbrace, etiolate, cripple, stultify, dilute, thin, thin out, reduce, cut, rarefy, attenuate, blunt, temper, season, mollify, enfeeble, debilitate, drain, enervate, dampen, neutralize, neutralise, nullify, negate, emasculate, castrate, wash out

5

verb

Meaning 5

reduce the level or intensity or size or scope of

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • de-escalate a crisis

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: de-escalate, step down

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: decrease, lessen, minify

6

verb

Meaning 6

lessen in force or effect

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • soften a shock
  • break a fall

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: dampen, damp, soften, break

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: deaden, blunt

Narrower terms: deafen, dampen, deaden, damp

7

verb

Meaning 7

destroy property or hinder normal operations

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The Resistance sabotaged railroad operations during the war

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: sabotage, undermine, countermine, counteract, subvert

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: disobey

Narrower terms: derail

History

Etymology

From weak + -en.

Across languages

Translations

105 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Azerbaijani: zəiflətmək — to make weaker
  • Belarusian: аслабля́ць (aslabljácʹ) — to make weaker
  • Belarusian: асла́біць (aslábicʹ) — to make weaker
  • Bulgarian: ослабям (oslabjam) — to make weaker
  • Bulgarian: правя слаб — to make weaker
  • Catalan: debilitar — to make weaker
  • Catalan: afeblir — to make weaker
  • Chinese Mandarin: 削弱 (xuēruò) — to make weaker
  • Chinese Mandarin: 減弱 /减弱 (jiǎnruò) — to make weaker
  • Czech: oslabit — to make weaker
  • Dutch: verzwakken — to make weaker
  • Finnish: heikentää — to make weaker
  • French: affaiblir — to make weaker
  • German: schwächen — to make weaker
  • German: abschwächen — to make weaker
  • Hebrew: החליש (hechlish) — to make weaker
  • Hungarian: gyengít — to make weaker
  • Italian: indebolire — to make weaker
  • Italian: spossare — to make weaker
  • Japanese: 弱くする (yowaku suru) — to make weaker
  • Latin: debilito — to make weaker
  • Latin: infirmo — to make weaker
  • Latin: labefactō — to make weaker
  • Latin: ēnervō — to make weaker
  • Latvian: vājināt — to make weaker
  • Malagasy: manalemy — to make weaker
  • Māori: whakaeo — to make weaker
  • Māori: whakaruhi — to make weaker
  • Māori: whakamakuhane — to make weaker
  • Māori: whakangoikore — to make weaker
  • Māori: whakaiwikore — to make weaker
  • Māori: tāmōmō — to make weaker
  • Old English: untrumian — to make weaker
  • Polish: osłabiać — to make weaker
  • Polish: osłabić — to make weaker
  • Portuguese: enfraquecer — to make weaker
  • Russian: ослабля́ть (oslabljátʹ) — to make weaker
  • Russian: осла́бить (oslábitʹ) — to make weaker
  • Sanskrit: जासयति (jāsayati) — to make weaker
  • Scottish Gaelic: lagaich — to make weaker
  • Spanish: debilitar — to make weaker
  • Spanish: languir — to make weaker
  • Swahili: dhii — to make weaker
  • Swedish: försvaga — to make weaker
  • Turkish: dayanıksızlaştırmak — to make weaker
  • Turkish: güçsüzleştirmek — to make weaker
  • Turkish: kuvvetsizleştirmek — to make weaker
  • Turkish: zayıflatmak — to make weaker
  • Ukrainian: посла́блювати (poslábljuvaty) — to make weaker
  • Ukrainian: послабля́ти (poslabljáty) — to make weaker
  • Ukrainian: посла́бити (poslábyty) — to make weaker
  • Zazaki: taqet ra finen — to make weaker
  • Aromanian: slãghescu — to become weaker
  • Azerbaijani: zəifləmək — to become weaker
  • Bulgarian: отслабвам (otslabvam) — to become weaker
  • Catalan: debilitar-se — to become weaker
  • Catalan: afeblir-se — to become weaker
  • Chinese Mandarin: 削弱 (xuēruò) — to become weaker
  • Chinese Mandarin: 減弱 /减弱 (jiǎnruò) — to become weaker
  • Dutch: verzwakken — to become weaker
  • Finnish: heikentyä — to become weaker
  • Finnish: heiketä — to become weaker
  • French: s'affaiblir — to become weaker
  • Galician: desfalecer — to become weaker
  • Galician: esmorecer — to become weaker
  • German: schwächeln — to become weaker
  • Hungarian: gyengül — to become weaker
  • Ido: debileskar — to become weaker
  • Italian: indebolirsi — to become weaker
  • Japanese: 弱くなる (yowaku naru) — to become weaker
  • Japanese: 衰える (otoroeru) — to become weaker
  • Japanese: 弱気になる (yowaki ni naru) — to become weaker
  • Latin: infirmor — to become weaker
  • Māori: kōngenge — to become weaker
  • Māori: ngongohe — to become weaker
  • Māori: taero — to become weaker
  • Mongolian: сулрах (sulrax) — to become weaker
  • Old English: untrumian — to become weaker
  • Polish: słabnąć — to become weaker
  • Polish: osłabnąć — to become weaker
  • Polish: bezsilnieć — to become weaker
  • Portuguese: enfraquecer — to become weaker
  • Romanian: slăbi — to become weaker
  • Russian: слабе́ть (slabétʹ) — to become weaker
  • Russian: ослабева́ть (oslabevátʹ) — to become weaker
  • Russian: ослабе́ть (oslabétʹ) — to become weaker
  • Russian: осла́бнуть (oslábnutʹ) — to become weaker
  • Scottish Gaelic: lagaich — to become weaker
  • Spanish: debilitarse — to become weaker
  • Spanish: languecer — to become weaker
  • Spanish: languidecer — to become weaker
  • Swedish: försvagas — to become weaker
  • Swedish: mattas — to become weaker
  • Turkish: dayanıksızlaşmak — to become weaker
  • Turkish: güçsüzleşmek — to become weaker
  • Turkish: kuvvetsizleşmek — to become weaker
  • Turkish: zayıflamak — to become weaker
  • Ukrainian: сла́бнути (slábnuty) — to become weaker
  • Ukrainian: сла́бшати (slábšaty) — to become weaker
  • Ukrainian: слабі́ти (slabíty) — to become weaker
  • Ukrainian: ослаба́ти (oslabáty) — to become weaker
  • Ukrainian: осла́бнути (oslábnuty) — to become weaker
  • Ukrainian: осла́бти (oslábty) — to become weaker
  • Ukrainian: посла́блюватися (poslábljuvatysja) — to become weaker
  • Ukrainian: посла́битися (poslábytysja) — to become weaker