What does sapped mean?
Sapped describes a person, thing, quality, or plan that has been gradually weakened through the loss of energy, resources, confidence, or effectiveness. The word often suggests a slow, persistent drain rather than a sudden destruction: worry can sap confidence, a difficult journey can sap energy, and financial problems can sap an organization’s resources. “Sapped” is the past tense and past participle of “sap” and is commonly used with qualities such as confidence, strength, vitality, and enthusiasm. It is formal but widely understood, and its passive use—“her confidence was sapped by months of uncertainty”—is especially common. The expression captures the idea of something valuable being worn down bit by bit.
To weaken someone or something by gradually draining their energy, resources, strength, or confidence.
"The constant pressure at work sapped his energy."
Commonly transitive, as in “sapped their confidence,” though it can also be used intransitively or in the passive.
Weakened or depleted of energy, strength, resources, or confidence.
"The soldiers looked sapped after days without rest."
This is the past participial adjective form of “sap,” especially common in phrases such as “sapped confidence” and “completely sapped.”
To be sapped is to have your strength or confidence quietly worn away, little by little.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does sapped come from?
The verb “sapped” comes from the older English verb “sap,” meaning to weaken by draining or exhausting. The word is related to “sap,” the fluid of a tree, and to forms such as “sappy” and “sapless.” The modern sense developed through the idea of drawing away a person’s or thing’s vital strength, as though extracting its sap.
Related word forms
How sapped is actually used
The word is commonly transitive, taking the affected person, thing, or quality as its object: to sap confidence or sap energy. It can also be used intransitively, especially in the passive construction 'to be sapped.'
Easily confused with sapped
Tapped means to strike lightly or draw liquid from something, whereas sapped means to weaken or drain.