verb
weaken
WEE-kuhn
verb
1
To make something less strong.
"Years of neglect had weakened the foundation."
"The scandal weakened his position within the party."
2
To become less strong.
"Her resolve weakened as the deadline approached."
How to Use Weaken
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo make or become weaker.
Common pairings
weaken resistance
weaken the economy
weaken over time
Word Forms
weakened past tense, weakens singular
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Etymology
Formed from "weak" plus the verb-forming suffix "-en," the same pattern as "strengthen" or "sharpen."