Weakeners

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A person or thing that reduces the strength or effectiveness of something inherently strong or sturdy
2. An agent or mechanism that diminishes the potency or resilience of a particular quality or state
3. An influence or factor that undermines, diminishes, or lessens the force or intensity of an entity or condition

Etymology: "Weakeners" is the plural of "weakener", a noun for something that reduces strength. The word is a simple formation: the verb "weaken" with the agent suffix "-er" attached. The "-er" ending carries the sense of a doer or thing that does the action, so a weakener is whatever weakens. The verb "weaken" is itself built on the adjective "weak", which came into English from Old Norse "veikr" and has roots in Germanic terms for pliancy and bending. The "-en" suffix added to make "weaken" is an old verb-forming ending, the same one found in "sharpen" and "lengthen". Taken together, the parts are plain and transparent: an adjective of weakness, a verb-making suffix, and an agent suffix.

Synonyms: reducers, diminishers, debilitators, impairers

Antonyms: strengtheners, enhancers, fortifiers