weaken
gb/wˈikən/ us/wˈikən/
B1
Inglese
~ 10000
Accezioni
0 accezioni
Verbo
B1
state
1
become less strong or effective
To become less strong or less able to work well.
Schema d'uso:
[someone/something] weakens
Errore comune:
Learners sometimes say *"I feel weaken"* instead of *"I feel weak"*. Use **weak** as an adjective for how you feel, and **weaken** as a verb for the change: *"The medicine weakened me"* or *"I feel weak"*, not *"I feel weaken"*.
Sinonimi
deteriorate (Focuses on general worsening, not only on loss of strength.)
Contrari
strengthen (Means to become stronger or more effective, the direct opposite process.)
Collocazioni
his health weakened
|the economy weakened
|the storm weakened
|support weakened
|her voice weakened
|the signal weakened
Temi
daily life
|health
|society
|core_vocabulary
Esempi
- As the afternoon went on, the storm gradually weakened.
- His eyesight has weakened with age.
- Support for the new law has weakened in recent months.
- After several days without food, she quickly weakened.
- The signal weakened as we drove into the mountains.
Esempi per chi studia
- The wind started strong but then it weakened.
- His legs weakened after the long run.
- My grandma's memory has weakened in the last few years.
- The team's performance weakened in the second half.
Verbo
B2
action
2
make someone or something less strong
To make a person, thing, or idea less strong or less effective.
Schema d'uso:
[someone/something] weakens [something]
Errore comune:
Learners sometimes use **weaken** where **lower** or **reduce** is more natural, for example *"weaken the price"*. In this case, say *"lower the price"* or *"reduce the price"*. Use **weaken** when you talk about strength, power, or effectiveness, not just any number or amount.
Sinonimi
undermine (Often used for slowly or secretly weakening support, confidence, or authority.)
Contrari
reinforce (Means to make something stronger or more effective, especially support or an argument.)
Collocazioni
weaken the economy
|weaken an argument
|weaken the team
|weaken security
|weaken his position
|weaken her confidence
Temi
business
|politics
|emotions
|core_vocabulary
Esempi
- The scandal seriously weakened the president's position.
- Skipping training will only weaken your muscles.
- The new policy could weaken environmental protections.
- Adding too many exceptions would weaken the law.
- The long delay weakened their chances of success.
Esempi per chi studia
- Smoking can weaken your heart and lungs.
- The heavy rain weakened the old bridge.
- These mistakes weaken your argument.
- The bad news weakened her hope.
Verbo
technical
B2
event
3
lose value in financial markets
When the value of money, shares, or a market goes down.
Schema d'uso:
[currency/market] weakens against [currency]
Sinonimi
fall (Very common verb for prices and markets going down; broader and less specific about strength.)
Contrari
strengthen (In finance, means a currency or market gains value, the opposite of weakening.)
Collocazioni
the dollar weakened against the euro
|share prices weakened
|markets weakened slightly
|the currency weakened further
|stocks weakened in late trading
Temi
business
|finance
|economy
Esempi
- The dollar weakened against the euro after the inflation report.
- Tech stocks weakened in late afternoon trading.
- Oil prices weakened on fears of lower demand.
Esempi per chi studia
- The yen weakened against the dollar last month.
- Share prices weakened after the company announced lower sales.
- The currency may weaken if inflation stays high.
Verbo
B2
action
4
make a liquid less strong
To make a drink or liquid less strong, for example by adding water.
Schema d'uso:
[someone] weakens [a liquid/mixture] with [something]
Errore comune:
Learners sometimes use **weaken** instead of **soften** for things that are physically hard, for example *"weaken the bread"*. Use **soften** for physical softness, and **weaken** when you want to talk about strength or concentration, like taste or chemical strength.
Sinonimi
dilute (More technical and common in scientific or formal contexts; **weaken** is more general and everyday.)
Contrari
concentrate (Means to make a liquid stronger or more concentrated, the opposite of weakening it.)
Collocazioni
weaken the coffee
|weaken the solution
|weaken the mixture
|weaken the drink with water
|weaken the flavor
Temi
science
|food
|food_drink
|daily_life
Esempi
- She weakened the coffee with a little milk and water.
- You need to weaken the solution before pouring it into the tank.
- Adding too much ice will weaken the flavor of the drink.
- The teacher asked them to weaken the paint with water before using it.
Esempi per chi studia
- Please don't weaken my tea too much.
- He weakened the soup by adding more water.
- The chemist weakened the acid before using it in class.
Grammatica
Forma base
weaken
IPA
GB/wˈikən/
US/wˈikən/
Sillabe e accento
weak - en (2 sillabe)
Stress on 1st syllable (weak)
Forme flesse
Verb
- Base: weaken
- 3rd Person Singular: weakens
- Present Participle: weakening
- Past: weakened
Famiglia di parole
Espressioni
weaken over time
1/wˈikən ˈoʊvɚ tˈaɪm/
fixed phrase
gradually become less strong
To slowly become less strong as time passes.
Esempi
- The metal will weaken over time if it is not protected from rust.
- Relationships can weaken over time without effort from both people.
weaken someone's resolve
1/wˈikən sˈʌmwˌʌnz ɹizˈɑlv/
fixed phrase
reduce someone's determination
To make someone less sure that they want to do something difficult or unpleasant.
Esempi
- The long wait began to weaken his resolve to complain.
- Her kind words weakened my resolve to stay angry.
weaken the economy
1/wˈikən ðə ɪkˈɑnəmi/
fixed phrase
reduce an economy's strength
To make a country or region's economy less strong, less active, or less healthy.
Esempi
- Higher interest rates could weaken the economy.
- A long strike would weaken the economy of the region.