weaken
Translation
to weaken, to diminish, to undermine
Examples
The illness weakened his body.
The illness weakened his body.
The team began to weaken in the second half.
The team began to weaken in the second half.
Grammar Patterns
((sth.)) to make (sth.) weaker The illness weakened his body.
to become weaker The team began to weaken in the second half.
Similar Words
Synonyms: diminish, reduce, undermine; Antonyms: strengthen, fortify
Etymology
From the adjective 'weak' plus the verb-forming suffix '-en', meaning 'to make or become'.
Memory Tips
The suffix '-en' often turns an adjective into a verb (e.g., shorten, brighten). Think of making something 'weak'.