debilitate

Definition of debilitate

To make someone weak and infirm

Synonyms for debilitate

• weaken
• impair
• incapacitate

debilitate in a Sentence

1. The chronic illness continued to debilitate him over several years.

Why debilitate Matters for GRE & SAT

"debilitate" is a verb that means "To make someone weak and infirm" closely related to words like "weaken", "impair", "incapacitate". As a word starting with D, it belongs to a cluster of GRE and SAT vocabulary that test-takers often encounter in Verbal Reasoning, Text Completion, and Reading Comprehension sections.

On the GRE, understanding "debilitate" helps you distinguish between closely related answer choices in Sentence Equivalence questions. On the SAT, recognizing this word in context strengthens your performance on Craft & Structure and Words in Context questions. Seeing how "debilitate" is used in sentences — like the examples above — builds the contextual understanding that standardized tests reward.

Study tip: Start with the definition and part of speech (verb). Then learn its 3 synonyms to build a word network. Finally, practice with spaced repetition to move "debilitate" into long-term memory.

How to Remember debilitate

One effective way to remember "debilitate" (verb) is to group it with similar words you already know: "weaken" and "impair" and "incapacitate". When you encounter "debilitate" on a test, these synonym connections help you quickly recall its meaning — "To make someone weak and infirm".

Use flashcard apps with spaced repetition to review "debilitate" at increasing intervals until it becomes automatic.

More Vocabulary Words Starting with D

• daunting — scary or frightening; (of a task) seeming impossible
• dawdle — move slowly and without purpose
• dearth — A scarcity or lack of something
• dearth — lack of something in a particular area
• debate — A formal discussion on a particular topic
• debilitating — weakening or impairing strength
• debunk — To expose the falseness of a myth or belief
• debunk — prove a belief or idea false
• decade — A period of ten years
• decadent — displaying excessive indulgence, sometimes to a morally degenerate extent