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weakening

weakening

3.2
A process that makes a person or thing less strong
  • noun
  • /ˈwiːkənɪŋ/
translation icon : debilitamiento
  • The weakening of, of civil liberties, the censorship, all that stuff was already underway.

He doesn't like the weakening of the senatorial classes.

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Examples

  • The weakening of the concrete structure was evident after years of exposure to harsh weather.

  • Experts discussed the weakening of the local economy due to increased unemployment rates.

  • On Weakening Rights in Order to Save Them

    Blog text (4)
  • That, in my opinion is a weakening of Binance's risk tolerance.

  • So if that's one, the weakening of the family, what are some other things that you think of have depleted the soil?

  • You're seeing a weakening of a network, a network that is now taking stronger priming to pull it out of there.

  • She noticed that when they do change in brightness, it's a sharp rise to brightness and then a slow weakening to the faintness.

  • Residents expressed concern over the weakening of public services in their neighborhood.

Synonyms

decrease
vsweakening
84 2.2

A drop in amount or number

is used when the change specifically affects strength or causes loss of strength
deterioration
vsweakening
43 5.9

A slow change when something like a building or a person's health becomes worse

applies when decline is specifically about reduction in strength rather than general worsening
degradation
vsweakening
33 6.8

The process of making land, water, or buildings worse over time

focuses on loss of strength rather than loss of status or respect
attrition
vsweakening
  • Specialized
18 7.9

Slow loss of people or strength caused by continued pressure

describes loss of strength without specifying repeated pressure or attacks
shrinking
vsweakening
7 3.2

A decrease in size, amount, or value

emphasizes reduction in strength or power rather than only physical size
shrinkage
vsweakening
5 5.1

A decrease in size, amount, or value

is focused on loss of strength or power rather than mere reduction in size
diminution
vsweakening
5 7.9

A decrease in size, amount, or importance

is used when the emphasis is specifically on loss of strength or power
lessening
vsweakening
4 3.8

A decrease in amount, size, or strength

is focused specifically on loss of strength or on causing reduced strength
diminishment
vsweakening
4 6.7

A decrease in size, strength or importance

highlights the same change but often used for general reduction rather than only strength
step-down
vsweakening
3 4.6

A decrease in amount or level, for example moving to a lower job

is used when the reduction concerns strength or power rather than position or rank
ebbing
vsweakening
1 6.7

A slow decrease in strength, amount, or intensity

is the broader term for loss of strength or for causing reduced strength
devolution
vsweakening
1 8.3

A slow decline from a higher to a lower state in quality or power

is used when the change is specifically about losing strength rather than broader decline
dwindling
vsweakening
1 5.2

A slow decrease in size, number, or strength

refers especially to the process of becoming less strong rather than only smaller
slackening
vsweakening
1 5.6

A change when something becomes less tight, strong, or intense

uses the same idea but covers broader loss of strength beyond looseness
tapering off
vsweakening
1 5.5

Becoming smaller or less over time until almost gone

is used when the process ends in near absence of strength rather than slight reduction
waning
vsweakening
1 6.0

A gradual decrease in size or strength

focuses more narrowly on becoming less strong rather than general diminution
worsening
vsweakening
1 4.2

A change where something becomes worse over time

is narrower when it denotes reduction in strength rather than only general decline
enfeebling
vsweakening
8.1

Making someone or something weak and less able to do things

covers both natural loss of strength and actions that cause that loss
diminishing
vsweakening
4.6

Becoming less in size, number, amount or importance

applies to reductions specifically in strength or force rather than general size
decreasing
vsweakening
2.3

Becoming less in number, size, or strength

applies when the reduction is about strength or power rather than mere quantity
lowering
vsweakening
2.8

To make something less in amount, value, or level

often refers to decline in strength caused by an action rather than natural change
tapering
vsweakening
6.5

A slow reduction in size or amount done in stages

describes reduction focused on loss of strength rather than staged downsizing
etiolation
vsweakening
9.9

A slow loss of strength or growth in something

is broader, applying to loss of strength in many contexts beyond growth

Antonyms

14 3.4

Making something stronger, for example muscles or ties between people

How Weakening

collapse
350 4.1
debilitation
1 8.1
weakening
3.2
deterioration
43 5.9

Surface Forms

weakening singular
weakening plural

Morphology

weakening = weaken (transparent) = weak + en + ing

Formed by adding the productive participle/gerund suffix '-ing' to the verb 'weaken' (itself transparently weak + -en), yielding 'the act/process of becoming weaker'.

Etymology

Weakening comes from the simple parts weak ('not strong'), -en ('to make'), and -ing ('the act or process'). So a weakening is the act or process of making something less strong, like slow rain that wears away a bridge or an illness that lowers a voice.