debilitate
dih-BIL-ih-taytverbMeaning to weaken severely
Memory hook de-(A)BILITY-ate: takes away all ABILITY. Day after day of blazing heat drains every bit of strength from the sunflowers until they droop to the ground. A heat wave can debilitate a garden.
The long heat wave debilitated the garden’s tomato plants.
In context The flu debilitated Sami for a week; he was so weak that a walk to the kitchen left him needing a nap.
Similar weaken, enfeeble, sap, exhaust
Opposite strengthen, invigorate, energize
From Latin debilitare, “to weaken,” from debilis, weak.