weaken
gb/wˈikən/ us/wˈikən/
B1
Inglês
~ 10000
Aceções
0 aceções
Verbo
B1
state
1
become less strong or effective
To become less strong or less able to work well.
Padrão de uso:
[someone/something] weakens
Erro comum:
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"*.
Sinónimos
deteriorate (Focuses on general worsening, not only on loss of strength.)
Antónimos
strengthen (Means to become stronger or more effective, the direct opposite process.)
Colocações
his health weakened
|the economy weakened
|the storm weakened
|support weakened
|her voice weakened
|the signal weakened
Temas
daily life
|health
|society
|core_vocabulary
Exemplos
- 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.
Exemplos para aprendentes
- 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.
Padrão de uso:
[someone/something] weakens [something]
Erro comum:
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.
Sinónimos
undermine (Often used for slowly or secretly weakening support, confidence, or authority.)
Antónimos
reinforce (Means to make something stronger or more effective, especially support or an argument.)
Colocações
weaken the economy
|weaken an argument
|weaken the team
|weaken security
|weaken his position
|weaken her confidence
Temas
business
|politics
|emotions
|core_vocabulary
Exemplos
- 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.
Exemplos para aprendentes
- 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.
Padrão de uso:
[currency/market] weakens against [currency]
Sinónimos
fall (Very common verb for prices and markets going down; broader and less specific about strength.)
Antónimos
strengthen (In finance, means a currency or market gains value, the opposite of weakening.)
Colocações
the dollar weakened against the euro
|share prices weakened
|markets weakened slightly
|the currency weakened further
|stocks weakened in late trading
Temas
business
|finance
|economy
Exemplos
- 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.
Exemplos para aprendentes
- 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.
Padrão de uso:
[someone] weakens [a liquid/mixture] with [something]
Erro comum:
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.
Sinónimos
dilute (More technical and common in scientific or formal contexts; **weaken** is more general and everyday.)
Antónimos
concentrate (Means to make a liquid stronger or more concentrated, the opposite of weakening it.)
Colocações
weaken the coffee
|weaken the solution
|weaken the mixture
|weaken the drink with water
|weaken the flavor
Temas
science
|food
|food_drink
|daily_life
Exemplos
- 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.
Exemplos para aprendentes
- 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.
Gramática
Forma de dicionário
weaken
IPA
GB/wˈikən/
US/wˈikən/
Sílabas e acento
weak - en (2 sílabas)
Stress on 1st syllable (weak)
Formas da palavra
Verb
- Base: weaken
- 3rd Person Singular: weakens
- Present Participle: weakening
- Past: weakened
Família de palavras
Expressões
weaken over time
1/wˈikən ˈoʊvɚ tˈaɪm/
fixed phrase
gradually become less strong
To slowly become less strong as time passes.
Exemplos
- 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.
Exemplos
- 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.
Exemplos
- Higher interest rates could weaken the economy.
- A long strike would weaken the economy of the region.