Verbs for Negative Change

to incapacitate

Verb

/ɪn.kə.pæ.si.teɪt/ or /in.kē.pā.si.teit/

i

ɪ

n

n

c

k

a

ə

p

p

a

æ

c

s

i

ɪ

t

t

a

eɪ

t

t

e

Select Your Language

to make something unable to work properly

to weaken

Verb

/wi.kən/ or /vi.kēn/

w

w

ea

i

k

k

e

ə

n

n

Select Your Language

to make something physically or structurally less strong or sturdy

to downgrade

Verb

/daʊn.greɪd/ or /daoon.greid/

d

d

o

a

w

ʊ

n

n

g

g

r

r

a

eɪ

d

d

e

Select Your Language

to lower the rank, status, or quality of something

to relegate

Verb

/rɛ.lə.geɪt/ or /re.lē.geit/

r

r

e

ɛ

l

l

e

ə

g

g

a

eɪ

t

t

e

Select Your Language

to appoint a person or thing to a lower status, position, or rank

to negate

Verb

/nɪ.geɪt/ or /ni.geit/

n

n

e

ɪ

g

g

a

eɪ

t

t

e

Select Your Language

to make something not effective by balancing or counteracting its effects

to deteriorate

Verb

/dɪ.tɪ.riɜ.reɪt/ or /di.ti.riē.reit/

d

d

e

ɪ

t

t

e

ɪ

r

r

io

iɜ

r

r

a

eɪ

t

t

e

Select Your Language

to decline in quality, condition, or overall state

to worsen

Verb

/wɜr.sən/ or /vēr.sēn/

w

w

o

ɜ

r

r

s

s

e

ə

n

n

Select Your Language

to make something get worse or more unfavorable than it was before

to mess

Verb

/mɛs/ or /mes/

m

m

e

ɛ

ss

s

Select Your Language

to make something dirty or some place untidy

to exacerbate

Verb

/ɪ.gzæ.sɜr.beɪt/ or /i.gzā.sēr.beit/

e

ɪ

x

gz

a

æ

c

s

e

ɜ

r

r

b

b

a

eɪ

t

t

e

Select Your Language

to make a problem, bad situation, or negative feeling worse or more severe

to aggravate

Verb

/æg.rə.veɪt/ or /āg.rē.veit/

a

æ

gg

g

r

r

a

ə

v

v

a

eɪ

t

t

e

Select Your Language

to make a disease or medical condition worse or more serious

to enfeeble

Verb

/ɛn.fi.bəl/ or /en.fi.bēl/

e

ɛ

n

n

f

f

ee

i

b

b

ə

l

l

e

Select Your Language

to cause someone or something to lose strength

to sap

Verb

/sæp/ or /sāp/

s

s

a

æ

p

p

Select Your Language

to gradually drain or deplete someone's power or strength

to atrophy

Verb

/æt.rə.fi/ or /āt.rē.fi/

a

æ

t

t

r

r

o

ə

ph

f

y

i

Select Your Language

to gradually decline, typically due to lack of use, nourishment, or stimulation