enervate

(ĕn'ər-vāt')
tr.v., -vat·ed, -vat·ing, -vates.

1. To weaken or destroy the strength or vitality of: "the luxury which enervates and destroys nations" (Henry David Thoreau). See synonyms at deplete.
2. Medicine. To remove a nerve or part of a nerve.

adj. (ĭ-nûr'vĭt)
Deprived of strength; debilitated.

[Latin ēnervāre, ēnervāt- : ē-, ex-, ex- + nervus, sinew.]

enervation en'er·va'tion n.
enervative en'er·va'tive adj.
enervator en'er·va'tor n.

USAGE NOTE   Sometimes people mistakenly use enervate to mean "to invigorate" or "to excite" by assuming that this word is a close cousin of the verb energize. In fact enervate does not come from the same source as energize (Greek energos, "active"). It comes from Latin nervus, "sinew." Thus enervate means "to cause to become 'out of muscle'," that is, "to weaken or deplete of strength."

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verb

To lessen or deplete the nerve, energy, or strength of: attenuate, debilitate, devitalize, enfeeble, sap², undermine, undo, unnerve, weaken. See strong/weak.

v

Definition: tire, wear out
Antonyms: activate, animate, empower, energize, invigorate, liven, strengthen

to weaken; to debilitate

IN BRIEF: v. - Weaken mentally or morally; Disturb the composure of.

Tutor's tip: A physical therapist tried to "innervate" (to stimulate a muscle or organ) the runner's legs, but the heat would "enervate" ( to debilitate, to deprive of vigor) her so much she couldn't complete the marathon.

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1. lack of nervous energy.
2. removal of a nerve or a section of a nerve.

For a list of words related to enervation, see:

• Signs and Symptoms - enervation: weakness, lack of energy

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See words rhyming with "enervate."

  See crossword solutions for the clue Enervate.

Dansk (Danish)
v. tr. - enervere, udmatte, svække
adj. - udmattet, energiforladt, kraftløs

Nederlands (Dutch)
afmatten, ontkrachten, afgemat

Français (French)
v. tr. - épuiser, affaiblir
adj. - amolli

Deutsch (German)
v. - entnerven, schwächen
adj. - entnervt, kraftlos

Ελληνική (Greek)
v. - αποχαυνώνω, αποδυναμώνω, εξασθενίζω, εξαντλώ

Italiano (Italian)
estenuare

Português (Portuguese)
v. - enfraquecer

Русский (Russian)
обессиливать, расстраивать нервы, лишать воли

Español (Spanish)
v. tr. - enervar, debilitar, deprimir
adj. - enervado, debilitado

Svenska (Swedish)
v. - göra kraftlös

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
使失去活力, 使衰弱, 衰弱的, 无力的

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
v. tr. - 使失去活力, 使衰弱
adj. - 衰弱的, 無力的

한국어 (Korean)
v. tr. - 기운을 빼앗다
adj. - 힘 빠진

日本語 (Japanese)
v. - 気力を弱める
adj. - 体力に欠けた

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(فعل) يضعف, يوهن‏

עברית (Hebrew)
v. tr. - ‮התיש, החליש‬
adj. - ‮תשוש‬

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