weakening
/ˈwiː.kən/ (bre, ipa) · [wˈikənɪŋ] /ˈwiː.kən/ (ame, ipa)
weakening — 動詞
- weakeningpresent simple I / you / we / they
- weakenings3rd person singular
- weakeninging-ing form
- weakeningedpast simple
1. to become less powerful or less physically strong, or to make something or someo
減弱；削弱
力量、效力或決心變弱
to become less powerful or less physically strong, or to make something or someone lose power or strength — for example, when a storm weakens after hitting the coast, or when a long illness weakens a person's body.
After three days at sea, the storm began to weaken.
在海上航行三天後，暴風雨開始減弱。
intransitive: [natural force] weakens
The infection weakened Quinn so badly that she had to stay in hospital for a week.
感染讓 Quinn 虛弱到不得不在醫院住了一個星期。
transitive: [illness] weakens [person]
Aarav's confidence weakened after he failed the driving test twice.
Aarav 的自信在兩次駕照考試失敗後開始動搖。
Repeated budget cuts have weakened the hospital's ability to help patients.
反覆的預算削減削弱了醫院幫助病人的能力。
Years of rain and sun had weakened the wooden fence until it finally broke.
多年的日曬雨淋讓木籬笆變得脆弱，最後終於斷裂。
- undermine
stronger and more gradual than weaken; often suggests deliberate damage to confidence, authority, or an institution
- erode
suggests a slow, gradual wearing away, often used with trust, confidence, or physical surfaces
- diminish
more formal; focuses on a reduction in size, importance, or intensity rather than strength
- sap
suggests draining energy or strength from the inside, like a resource being used up
- strengthen
the direct opposite; to make or become stronger
- reinforce
to add extra strength or support, especially to something physical or structural
文法句型
something weakens
someone/something weakens someone/something
someone/something is weakened
用法筆記
Frequently used in the passive (e.g., 'was weakened by…'). The intransitive form is common when describing natural forces, health, or abstract qualities like determination.