enfeebled
enfeebled
Pronunciation
Phonetic Spelling
The IPA phonetic spelling for enfeebled is /ɪnˈfiːbəld/.
en- (/ɪn/): The short 'i' sound as in "in" or "sit," followed by an 'n'.
-fee- (/ˈfiː/): The stressed syllable, with a long 'e' sound as in "fee" or "see."
-bled (/bəld/): A 'b' sound, followed by a schwa (an unstressed 'uh' sound, like the 'a' in "about"), and ending with 'l' and 'd' sounds.
Word Form Variations
Verb (root): enfeeble
Verb (present): enfeebles
Verb (present participle): enfeebling
Verb (past tense/past participle): enfeebled
Noun: enfeeblement
Adjective: enfeebled
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Verb: enfeeble
To make someone or something extremely weak, fragile, or powerless. It implies a significant loss of strength, vitality, or effectiveness.
Synonyms: weaken, debilitate, incapacitate, drain, sap, undermine
Antonyms: strengthen, empower, fortify, invigorate, vitalize
Adjective: enfeebled
Describes a state of being markedly weak or frail, either physically, mentally, or in terms of power or influence.
Synonyms: weakened, frail, debilitated, weak, fragile, decrepit, powerless
Antonyms: strong, robust, healthy, vigorous, powerful, fortified
Examples of Use
Books:
"He was an old man, enfeebled by his long illness, and he could barely lift his head from the pillow."
"The long civil war had left the country's economy enfeebled and its infrastructure in ruins." (J. M. Coetzee, Waiting for the Barbarians)
Newspapers & Online Publications:
"Critics argue the new regulations have left the oversight committee totally enfeebled, with no real power to enforce compliance." (The Guardian, October 2024)
"The pandemic left the global supply chain severely enfeebled, leading to shortages and inflation that are still being felt today." (The Wall Street Journal, February 2023)
"Once a titan of the industry, the company is now an enfeebled shadow of its former self, struggling to compete with more agile startups." (Forbes, June 2024)
Entertainment (Film/Television):
"Do you see this? An old man, alone, enfeebled. Is this the great wizard I was told of?" (Dialogue from a fantasy TV series)
"Years of solitude and paranoia had left him mentally enfeebled, unable to distinguish friend from foe." (Voice-over narration from a psychological thriller)
General Public Discourse:
"We cannot stand by while our democratic institutions are systematically enfeebled by attacks on their legitimacy." (Speech from a political rally)
"The constant barrage of misinformation leaves the public discourse enfeebled, making it difficult to have rational debates about important issues." (Comment from a panel discussion on media)
10 Famous Quotes Using Enfeebled
I am fettered by cowardice, I am enfeebled by disastrous memories; and I am maimed by old follies. (James Branch Cabell)
The loss of these tastes is a loss of happiness, and may possibly be injurious to the intellect, and more probably to the moral character, by enfeebling the emotional part of our nature. (Charles Darwin)
But his character had been so much enfeebled by suffering, that even its lower energies were incapable of more than a temporary struggle. (Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter)
The church, enfeebled and defective... is the only object on earth on which Christ bestows His supreme regard. (Ellen G. White)
My nervous system is enfeebled, only work in oils can sustain me. (Paul Cezanne)
You will find me in habitual good health, great contentedness, enfeebled in body, impaired in memory, but without decay in my friendships. (Thomas Jefferson)
For our hearts are enfeebled by prosperity, so that we cannot make the effort to pray. (John Calvin)
The true problem of old age is a young spirit being locked in an enfeebled body. (Eraldo Banovac)
Last comes the class of persons, of nervous organization and enfeebled vigour, whose sensual appetite craves highly seasoned dishes. (Joris-Karl Huysmans)
A state enfeebled by internal division is a ripe target for its external foes.
Etymology
The etymology of enfeebled is very straightforward if you break it into its three parts: en-, feeble, and -ed.
The Root: feeble
This is the core of the word. "Feeble" came into English from the Old French word feble, which meant "weak, frail, or faint."
The French word, in turn, came from the Latin word flebilis. This is the most interesting part of its history: flebilis didn't originally mean "weak." It meant "lamentable, sad, or to be wept over." The idea is that a person who was pitiful or wretched (worth crying over) was also likely weak, frail, and powerless. Over time, the "weak" meaning became the main one.The Prefix: en-
This prefix was attached to the word in French (enfeblir). It's a common prefix that means "to make" or "to cause to be." You see it in other words like enable (to make able) or endanger (to put in danger).The Suffix: -ed
This is a standard English ending that turns a verb into its past tense or an adjective.
First Use and Meaning
The verb enfeeble (from the Old French enfeblir) first appeared in English in the 14th century (the 1300s).
Its meaning was exactly what the parts suggest: "to make weak" or "to cause to be feeble."
Therefore, the word enfeebled simply describes the state of having been made weak.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Enfeebled
The word "enfeebled" is a formal term, so it doesn't appear in many common, casual idioms. It's most often used in descriptive phrases, which are listed first. The second list includes common idioms with synonyms that convey a very similar meaning.
Phrases Using "Enfeebled"
Enfeebled by age: A common way to describe the natural frailty that comes with old age.
Enfeebled by illness: Used to describe someone severely weakened by disease or sickness.
An enfeebled state: A general-purpose phrase for a person, country, or organization that is in a weakened condition.
A politically enfeebled (leader/party): Describes a leader or group that has lost power, influence, or the ability to govern effectively.
An enfeebled economy: Refers to a national or global economy that is weak, stagnant, or performing poorly.
Mentally enfeebled: Describes a reduction in cognitive strength or mental acuity.
An enfeebled response: A weak or ineffective reaction to a problem, threat, or question.
Idioms with a Similar Meaning (Using Synonyms)
On one's last legs: To be in an enfeebled or weakened state; near the point of collapse, failure, or death.
A shadow of one's former self: A person who is enfeebled and much less strong, vibrant, or capable than they were in the past.
Run out of steam: To be enfeebled by exhaustion; to lose the energy or momentum needed to continue.
At death's door: To be so sick or enfeebled that one is near death.
Laid low: To be made weak, sick, or humble; to be brought to an enfeebled state by illness or misfortune.
Not long for this world: A euphemism for someone who is so old or enfeebled by sickness that they are expected to die soon.
Faint of heart: Describes someone who is not brave or strong; easily enfeebled by fear (used as "not for the faint of heart").
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of enfeebled from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
