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Glite Dictionary
🌱 To weaken by darkness 😶‍🌫️ To make pale and weak
to etiolate

to etiolate

9.9
To make people or things pale and weak by keeping them from light and everyday life
  • verb
  • /ˈiːtiəˌleɪt/
translation icon : pálido
  • Excessive indoor living may etiolate one's complexion over time.

Examples

  • The plants began to etiolate due to the lack of sunlight.

  • Long hospital stays can etiolate formerly healthy children.

  • The lack of sunlight etiolated the houseplants, turning their leaves pale and limp.

  • If you keep them in the dark, they will etiolate quickly.

  • After being kept in a dark room for weeks, the plants became etiolated and lost their vibrant colors.

  • The lack of sunlight caused his health to etiolate, making him feel tired and weak.

  • Without proper care, the once healthy garden began to etiolate, with many plants becoming leggy and pale.

Synonyms

to pale
vsto etiolate
41 3.7

Become very light in color, often from fear or illness

is broader, caused by deprived light or conditions and includes weakness
to turn pale
vsto etiolate
3 3.2

Become very white in the face when you feel shocked, afraid, or sick

focuses on color loss due to deprived light or conditions and implies weakness

Antonyms

to strengthen
327 3.0

To make muscles, relationships, or groups stronger

to invigorate
26 5.5

To give more energy and make someone or something feel lively

How Weak

to cripple
72 6.3
to debilitate
20 7.7
to sap
14 5.6
to etiolate
9.9
to weaken
305 2.8
to diminish
201 3.7

Surface Forms

etiolate infinitive
etiolated past
etiolated past participle
etiolating present participle
etiolates third person singular

Morphology

etiolate = etiolation (opaque) = etiol + ate

Although related to the noun 'etiolation', the productive stem 'etiol' is not a standalone, familiar English base, and the verb is specialized botanical vocabulary, so learners cannot reliably infer the meaning from the parts.

Etymology

Etiolate comes from French étioler, which meant 'to make pale'; a helpful image is a person or idea left in the dark, losing colour and strength just like a drained seedling. That's why to etiolate can mean to make someone or something weak or pale by taking away normal light or life.