Definition of "debilitate" [de•bil•i•tate]

• To sap the strength or energy of; enervate. (verb-transitive)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Walsh details the struggle to resist neo-liberal agendas that promote privatization and debilitate communities in post-apartheid South Africa."
• "Over the past 25 years I've seen how the pain of chronic stomachaches and headaches can debilitate a child."
• "Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., said military leaders wanted troops to remain through the end of 2012 to finish off the fighting season and give them the best chance to debilitate the Taliban."