enfeeble: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Formal, literary; occasionally academic or technical.
Quick answer
What does “enfeeble” mean?
To make someone or something weak, frail, or lacking in strength.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
To make someone or something weak, frail, or lacking in strength.
To progressively reduce the vitality, power, effectiveness, or resilience of a person, institution, system, or idea over time.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or usage. Slightly more common in formal British writing than in American.
Connotations
Both carry connotations of decline, deterioration, and loss of essential vigor.
Frequency
Low-frequency in both varieties, found primarily in formal registers, historical contexts, and political commentary.
Grammar
How to Use “enfeeble” in a Sentence
enfeeble + [direct object]be/become enfeebled + [by/with + cause]enfeeble + [institution/system]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “enfeeble” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The continual damp began to enfeeble the structure of the old cottage.
- His aim was to enfeeble the opposition's argument with meticulous counter-evidence.
American English
- The proposed regulations would enfeeble small businesses with excessive compliance costs.
- A prolonged fever can seriously enfeeble a patient.
adverb
British English
- Not used as a standard adverb. Use 'feebly' or 'weakly' instead.
American English
- Not used as a standard adverb. Use 'feebly' or 'weakly' instead.
adjective
British English
- The enfeebled monarch signed the treaty under duress.
- They faced the crisis with an enfeebled administrative apparatus.
American English
- The enfeebled state government could not respond effectively to the disaster.
- He spoke in an enfeebled voice after the long illness.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
'Years of mismanagement served only to enfeeble the company, making it an easy target for acquisition.'
Academic
Critics argue that such policies enfeeble democratic institutions by concentrating power in the executive.
Everyday
Rare in everyday conversation. Might be used humorously: 'That long meeting completely enfeebled me.'
Technical
In gerontology, chronic inflammation is known to enfeeble the immune response in the elderly.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “enfeeble”
Strong
Neutral
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “enfeeble”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “enfeeble”
- Misspelling as 'infeable' or 'enfible'.
- Using in informal contexts where 'weaken' is appropriate.
- Incorrectly using as an intransitive verb (e.g., 'He enfeebled' is wrong; must have an object).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is a low-frequency, formal word. In everyday speech, 'weaken', 'make weak', or 'sap' are more common.
It can be used figuratively for abstract things like arguments, economies, institutions, and resolve, as well as literally for people and living things.
'Enfeeble' suggests a more profound, often gradual weakening that leads to a state of feebleness or ineffectiveness. It is more formal and vivid than the neutral 'weaken'.
The past participle/adjectival form 'enfeebled' (e.g., 'an enfeebled government') is more frequently encountered than the base verb form 'enfeeble'.
To make someone or something weak, frail, or lacking in strength.
Enfeeble is usually formal, literary; occasionally academic or technical. in register.
Enfeeble: in British English it is pronounced /ɪnˈfiːb(ə)l/, and in American English it is pronounced /ɛnˈfibəl/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “No common idioms use 'enfeeble' as a core component.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: EN-FEEBLE. Imagine putting a FEE (cost) on someone's strength, making them weak (FEEBLE). To ENFEEBLE is to make someone FEEBLE.
Conceptual Metaphor
STRENGTH IS A RESERVOIR / WEAKNESS IS DEPLETION. Enfeebling drains this reservoir.
Practice
Quiz
In which of the following sentences is 'enfeeble' used MOST appropriately?