Weakening

How to spell weakening

9 letters · 3 syllables

How to pronounce weakening

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does weakening mean?

1. verbIn the process of becoming, or causing something to become, less strong, intense, or effective.
2. nounThe act or fact of becoming or being made less strong.

Weakening in a sentence

• verb

  The weakening economy forced the firm to freeze all new hiring.

• noun

  The steady weakening of the pound alarmed importers across the country.

• verb

  Engineers warned that the corroded supports were weakening year by year.

• noun

  Doctors documented a gradual weakening of the patient's leg muscles.

Where does weakening come from?

Language of origin: Old Norse

This word builds on 'weak', which English took from the Old Norse veikr, meaning 'pliant' or 'easily bent', a sense that fits something lacking strength. There was a related native Old English form, wac, meaning 'soft' or 'feeble', and the two reinforced one another, with the Norse form ultimately shaping the modern spelling and the 'ea' vowel. To this base English added the productive suffix -en, which turns an adjective into a verb meaning 'to make or become' that quality, the same pattern seen in 'harden', 'soften', and 'lighten'. The further ending -ing then produces the present participle and gerund, giving 'weakening' both a verbal and a noun-like life. The spelling trap is mostly the quiet middle: writers must remember the silent-sounding -en- between 'weak' and '-ing', since the unstressed syllable is easy to swallow in speech.

How the word is built

• weak (root adjective, from Old Norse veikr 'pliant')
• -en (verb-forming suffix meaning 'to make or become')
• -ing (present participle / gerund suffix)