devitalize

verb

(ˌ)dē-ˈvī-tə-ˌlīz How to pronounce devitalize (audio)
Definition of devitalizenext
1
as in to undermine
to deprive of emotional or intellectual vitality overuse has devitalized many a once-striking figure of speech

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to weaken
to diminish the physical strength of she was devitalized by the infection

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of devitalize This can devitalize the plant to the point of it starting to die back. — oregonlive, 5 Feb. 2023 Miller’s writing début may have been precipitated by her assault, but the final work devitalizes its horrific beginnings. — Doreen St. Félix, The New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devitalize
  1. undermine
  2. weaken
  3. drain
  4. soften
  5. exhaust
  6. waste
  7. petrify
  8. enervate
Verb
  • There’s a sense that doubt would be a form of disloyalty to what came before you, or that admitting a weakness undermines the confidence of the people around you.
    — Flavio Maluf, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Several roads near Westward Beach in Malibu are closed after additional erosion undermined the roadway and exposed a Los Angeles County water main.
    — Chelsea Hylton, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of undermine
Verb
  • Conditions were expected to improve Saturday afternoon as winds weakened, with fair and dry weather forecast for the remainder of the weekend.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 23 Oct. 2026
  • As trust in America weakens further, other wealthy nations will make the same calculation.
    — Fareed Zakaria, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of weaken
Verb
  • Allen drained it to extend Charlotte’s lead to 20, and then found Dennis Schröder for a high-five as Miami called a timeout.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 25 Oct. 2026
  • In hopes of restoring the water's blue hue, park rangers partially drained Morning Glory in the 1970s to extract debris.
    — Sadie Chafe, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of drain
Verb
  • But on that score, too, Jackson tries to soften the caricature of the billionaire executive.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Add the shallot to the skillet, along with the salt and black pepper, and cook for 1 minute, or until the shallot starts to soften.
    — Candy Hom, AJC.com, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of soften
Verb
  • So, get ready for mountain vistas and exhausting cycling days to take your breath away and questions about your life choices to swirl around in your head!
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 17 Oct. 2026
  • That pretty much exhausts the points of agreement between the pro- and anti-Proposition 40 camps.
    — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of exhaust
Verb
  • In Southern California and across the country, Halloween costume swaps and thrift stores are keeping costumes from going to waste.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026
  • The city of Milwaukee waited 46 years to see its team in the Fall Classic, and this year's Brewers wanted to stop wasting time.
    — Ryan Morik OutKick, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of waste
Verb
  • The characters are petrified like specimens, expressing and embodying only what fits into the film’s design, with no potential for inconvenient loose ends for viewers to follow outside the frame’s borders.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Here, a source of primordial terror—the gaze that petrifies—is deflected by way of the highly polished shield that Perseus wields against the creature.
    — Jan Tumlir, Artforum, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of petrify
Verb
  • Such flat, enervating filmmaking makes the whole endeavor a shockingly cynical affair.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Its students arrive morally outraged, a priori puritans, while its professors are enervated and dissatisfied.
    — Zain Khalid, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of enervate

Browse Nearby Words

devising
devitalize
devitalized
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Cite this Entry

“Devitalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devitalize. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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