ENERVATING Synonyms: 206 Similar and Opposite Words

enervating 1 of 2

adjective

as in exhausting

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Dissimilar Words

enervating

2 of 2

verb

present participle of enervate

as in undermining

to deprive of emotional or intellectual vitality a lifetime of working in dreary jobs had enervated his very soul

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in weakening

to diminish the physical strength of the surgery really enervated me for weeks afterwards

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of enervating

Verb

Campbell, the North Carolina folk singer, describes an enervating process marked by back-and-forth exchanges and lots of waiting. — Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 25 Mar. 2026 Jenny deflected me with enervating ease. — Literary Hub, 13 Mar. 2026 The results are often enervating though sometimes clumsy. — Eli Enis, Pitchfork, 3 Feb. 2026 This may reframe his friend’s enervating habit. — Hope Hunt, Baltimore Sun, 30 Jan. 2026 Some of these values—such as a disciplined commitment to physical fitness—are good and, in my opinion, necessary correctives to the enervating distractions of 21st-century living. — Dan Brooks, The Atlantic, 2 Oct. 2025 Looming over all of it has been the sad, enervating situation with Alexander Isak, forever enshrined as a club legend by dint of Wembley last season but now beyond the point of tarnishing that legacy. — George Caulkin, New York Times, 10 Aug. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for enervating

Adjective

But for millions of people juggling demanding jobs, caring for children, recovering from injuries, managing chronic pain or simply trying to make it through another exhausting day, regular workouts aren't always realistic.

— Daryl Austin, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026
The death of Marshall’s dad was an emotionally exhausting arc that also brought out the best in the gang.

— Erin Strecker, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of exhausting

Verb

The same practices that have allowed the Kremlin to relentlessly tighten its political control are also undermining the state’s capacity to govern.

— Andrei Soldatov, Foreign Affairs, 31 Aug. 2026
As to alleged contempt, the siblings could argue that exploration of a sale of the team should not count as evidence of undermining the 2017 court order.

— Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of undermining

Verb

Throughout this year, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has been weakening the Navy’s leadership by blocking the promotion of nearly 20 admirals.

— Andrea N. Goldstein, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026
Wheat futures hit their highest level in more than three years as the war in Ukraine strained supplies, further weakening the global food system.

— Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of weakening

Adjective

But the most mentally fatiguing aspect, the work found, was having to constantly supervise the AI tools, with some employees overseeing multiple AI agents performing different tasks at the same time.

— Frank Landymore, Futurism, 12 Mar. 2026
My friend was in course of opening up his country house unassisted, and after a fatiguing day discovered that the only practical bed was a child’s affair— long enough but scarcely wider than a crib.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Mar. 2026

Definition of fatiguing

Verb

Libra September 23 – October 22 The routine that keeps draining you may need a more compassionate rhythm.

— Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2026
The law paved the way for thousands of victims to sue their abusers but has been criticized for draining the coffers of local governments.

— Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of draining

Verb

That’s because the scent leads with a masculine-leaning opening of almond blossom, pink pepper, and neroli, before softening to its woody vanilla base.

— Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 25 Aug. 2026
Nike had been using Bugs Bunny in a series of commercials starring Michael Jordan as a means of softening the basketball legend’s intense on-court image and marketing his Air Jordans to families.

— Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of softening

Adjective

That’s a good thing, in the sense that even if a child is infected, the vast majority do not develop debilitating, and potentially fatal, consequences.

— Eli Cahan, Rolling Stone, 21 Aug. 2026
Balancing a new baby and the demands of a job on top of the debilitating effects of postpartum depression and anxiety can drive up absenteeism and undercut job performance.

— Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of debilitating

Verb

Each presents a group portrait of a handful of disaffected British suburbanites—husbands who resent their deadening jobs, toddlers who whine and interrupt, and, above all, hassled wives subsumed by a crush of household obligations.

— Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026
Sam Lambert laid down a safety squeeze, deadening the ball in front of the plate and scoring Balls to trim the lead to 3-1.

— Dave Montrose, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 May 2026

Definition of deadening

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“Enervating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/enervating. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of enervating

adjective

verb

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