# weaken

Pronunciation: say "WEE-kuhn" /ˈwikən/

## Verb

1. To make something less strong, powerful, or effective.
   - Simple: To make something less strong than it was before.
   - _Repeated criticism can weaken a person's confidence over time._
   - _The scandal weakened the government's authority considerably._
2. To grow less strong, powerful, or effective.
   - Simple: To slowly become less strong than before.
   - _Public support for the policy weakened as new details emerged._
   - _Bridges can weaken when rust spreads through their steel beams._

## Origin

Formed from the adjective "weak" combined with the suffix "-en".

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/weaken (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).