Word of the Day & Vocabulary logo
Get the app

enervate

/ˌɛn.ə(ɹ)ˈveɪt/verb

To drain someone's strength or energy; to weaken.

Example sentences

  • “The humid afternoon heat enervated the entire hiking group.”
  • “Weeks of stress and poor sleep had enervated him completely.”

A classic trap: it looks like 'energize' but means the opposite, to sap strength. Vocabulary tests love it for exactly that reason.

Synonyms for enervate

Antonyms

  • energize
  • invigorate

Often confused with enervate

enervate vs energize

Find it in: Advanced English words.

Related words

enmityA deep feeling of hatred or hostility toward someone, like that between enemies.encroachTo gradually take over land, rights, or territory that belongs to someone else.ennuiA heavy feeling of boredom and low spirits; weary dissatisfaction with life.egregiousStanding out as remarkably bad; shockingly obvious in a negative way.exacerbateTo make a bad situation, problem, or unpleasant feeling even worse.exasperateTo annoy someone so much that their patience wears out; to make angry.