Weakens

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To diminish the strength or robustness of an object or concept
2. To lessen the effectiveness or potency of a particular item or idea
3. To make something physically less strong or robust ; to cause something to become less effective or powerful

Etymology: "Weakens" is the third-person singular present form of "weaken," which is built from the adjective "weak" plus the suffix "-en." The suffix traces back to Old English "-nian," a verb-forming ending that was attached to adjectives and nouns to express the process of becoming something. Its ancestors reach back through Proto-West Germanic and Proto-Germanic, where forms like "-inōn" and "-ōnąn" appeared in the same role. The surprising part is how old the pattern is. English still uses this suffix productively, as in "widen," "harden," "soften," and "lengthen," so "weaken" belongs to a long family of verbs that all mean "to make or become more of the adjective." The "-en" ending in "weaken" entered Middle English as "-enen" or "-nen," and the verb itself took its modern shape from that medieval form.

Synonyms: diminishes, undermines, lessens

Antonyms: strengthens, fortifies