enervate
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enervate
deprive of vitality; weaken: Constant worry will enervate you.
Not to be confused with:
energize – give energy to; to put out energy: A brisk walk in the cold air will energize you.
invigorate – give vigor, vitality, or strength: Weight-lifting will invigorate you.
Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree Copyright © 2007, 2013 by Mary Embree
en·er·vate
(ĕn′ər-vāt′)tr.v. en·er·vat·ed, en·er·vat·ing, en·er·vates
1. To weaken or destroy the strength or vitality of: "the luxury which enervates and destroys nations" (Henry David Thoreau).
2. Medicine To remove a nerve or part of a nerve.
adj. (ĭ-nûr′vĭt)
Deprived of strength; debilitated.
en′er·va′tion n.
en′er·va′tive adj.
en′er·va′tor n.
Usage Note: Sometimes people mistakenly use enervate to mean "to invigorate" or "to excite" by assuming that this word is a close cousin of the verb energize. In fact enervate does not come from the same source as energize (Greek energos, "active"). It comes from Latin nervus, "sinew." Thus enervate means "to cause to become 'out of muscle' ," that is, "to weaken or deplete of strength."
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
enervate
vb
(tr) to deprive of strength or vitality; weaken physically or mentally; debilitate
adj
deprived of strength or vitality; weakened
[C17: from Latin ēnervāre to remove the nerves from, from nervus nerve, sinew]
ˌenerˈvation n
ˈenerˌvative adj
ˈenerˌvator n
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
en•er•vate
(v. ˈɛn ərˌveɪt; adj. ɪˈnɜr vɪt)v. -vat•ed, -vat•ing,
adj. v.t.
1. to deprive of force or strength; destroy the vigor of; weaken.
adj. 2. lacking strength or vitality; enervated.
[1595–1605; < Latin ēnervātus, past participle of ēnervāre=ē- e- + -nervāre, derivative of nervus sinew (see nerve)]
en`er•va′tion, n.
en′er•va`tive, adj.
en′er•va`tor, n.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
See also related terms for stimulate.
Farlex Trivia Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.
enervate
Past participle: enervated
Gerund: enervating
| Imperative |
|---|
| enervate |
| enervate |
| Present |
|---|
| I enervate |
| you enervate |
| he/she/it enervates |
| we enervate |
| you enervate |
| they enervate |
| Preterite |
|---|
| I enervated |
| you enervated |
| he/she/it enervated |
| we enervated |
| you enervated |
| they enervated |
| Present Continuous |
|---|
| I am enervating |
| you are enervating |
| he/she/it is enervating |
| we are enervating |
| you are enervating |
| they are enervating |
| Present Perfect |
|---|
| I have enervated |
| you have enervated |
| he/she/it has enervated |
| we have enervated |
| you have enervated |
| they have enervated |
| Past Continuous |
|---|
| I was enervating |
| you were enervating |
| he/she/it was enervating |
| we were enervating |
| you were enervating |
| they were enervating |
| Past Perfect |
|---|
| I had enervated |
| you had enervated |
| he/she/it had enervated |
| we had enervated |
| you had enervated |
| they had enervated |
| Future |
|---|
| I will enervate |
| you will enervate |
| he/she/it will enervate |
| we will enervate |
| you will enervate |
| they will enervate |
| Future Perfect |
|---|
| I will have enervated |
| you will have enervated |
| he/she/it will have enervated |
| we will have enervated |
| you will have enervated |
| they will have enervated |
| Future Continuous |
|---|
| I will be enervating |
| you will be enervating |
| he/she/it will be enervating |
| we will be enervating |
| you will be enervating |
| they will be enervating |
| Present Perfect Continuous |
|---|
| I have been enervating |
| you have been enervating |
| he/she/it has been enervating |
| we have been enervating |
| you have been enervating |
| they have been enervating |
| Future Perfect Continuous |
|---|
| I will have been enervating |
| you will have been enervating |
| he/she/it will have been enervating |
| we will have been enervating |
| you will have been enervating |
| they will have been enervating |
| Past Perfect Continuous |
|---|
| I had been enervating |
| you had been enervating |
| he/she/it had been enervating |
| we had been enervating |
| you had been enervating |
| they had been enervating |
| Conditional |
|---|
| I would enervate |
| you would enervate |
| he/she/it would enervate |
| we would enervate |
| you would enervate |
| they would enervate |
| Past Conditional |
|---|
| I would have enervated |
| you would have enervated |
| he/she/it would have enervated |
| we would have enervated |
| you would have enervated |
| they would have enervated |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
Verb 1. enervate - weaken mentally or morally
weaken - lessen the strength of; "The fever weakened his body"
2. [画像:enervate - disturb the composure of]enervate - disturb the composure of
unman - cause to lose one's nerve; "an unmanning experience"
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
enervate
verbTo lessen or deplete the nerve, energy, or strength of:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
enervate
vt (physically) → entkräften, schwächen ; (mentally) → entnerven, enervieren (geh)
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
enervate
vt. extirpar un nervio;
debilitar, enervar.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012