What does enfeeble mean?
To enfeeble is to make weak — to drain a person, body, institution, or argument of its strength, vigor, or effectiveness. The verb is formal and literary in tone, which is why it appears more often in written prose than everyday conversation. It typically describes gradual erosion rather than sudden collapse: a long illness may leave a patient enfeebled, years of mismanagement can enfeeble a company, and repeated compromises might enfeeble a leader's authority. The word often appears in the passive form "enfeebled by age" or "enfeebled by disease," emphasizing that the weakness was imposed from outside rather than inherent. Its history is unexpectedly poignant: it descends from the same root as "feeble," which ultimately comes from the Latin flēre, "to weep" — so at its deepest etymological level, to enfeeble something is to reduce it toward tears. Writers reach for it when they want precision and gravity beyond what plain synonyms offer.
verbTo make someone or something weak; to deprive of strength, vigor, or effectiveness.
- To deprive of physical strength or vitality.
- To weaken in force, effectiveness, or authority.
"Years of poor nutrition had enfeebled the once-powerful workhorse."
"The long convalescence left him visibly enfeebled."
"Successive budget cuts gradually enfeebled the regulatory agency."
"Feeble" got its meaning from weeping — it traces back to the Latin flēre, "to weep," so something enfeebling literally reduces you to tears.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of enfeeble
Enfeeble entered English in the late Middle English period (around the fifteenth century), borrowed from Anglo-French and Old French forms such as enfeblir, built on the prefix en- plus the adjective feeble. Feeble itself came into Middle English from Old French feble, derived from Latin flebilis, "lamentable" or "to be wept over," from the verb flēre, "to weep." Thus enfeeble shares its ultimate origin with the adjective feeble, both pointing back to a Latin root associated with tears and lamentation.
Related word forms
How enfeeble is actually used
Formal and somewhat literary in register; ordinary speech favors simpler verbs like "weaken" or "sapped." Often used in passive constructions describing people or institutions drained by age, illness, or prolonged pressure. The connotation is gradual depletion rather than sudden destruction.