Disanimate

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To remove the spirit or vitality from something; to strip of life or energy, rendering it inanimate; to cause a loss of liveliness or interest in a subject or entity
2. To deprive of animating force or essence; to make something devoid of life or feeling; to diminish the excitement or enthusiasm surrounding an idea
3. To render lifeless or inactive, often through an act of detachment; to take away the vital force of a being or concept; to deflate the enthusiasm perceived in a situation

Etymology: "Disanimate" is a straightforward formation in English: the prefix "dis-", meaning "apart" or "reversing," attached to "animate." The verb "animate" came into English in the late Middle Ages, borrowed from the Latin "animatus," the past participle of "animare," "to breathe life into," itself from "anima," breath or soul. Reversing that sense, "disanimate" means to take the life or spirit out of something. The prefix "dis-" followed a long route into English. It descends from Latin "dis-," which passed through Old French "des-" and entered Middle English as a separate prefix, where it was used to form many verbs of undoing or separating. English then kept applying it to existing words, so "disanimate" is one of many such formations, built on a base that already carried its own life.

Synonyms: deaden, stifle, weaken, diminish, suppress

Antonyms: animate, energize, vivify, enliven, revitalize