If you are debilitated by something such as an illness, it causes your body or mind to become gradually weaker. Stewart took over yesterday when Russell was debilitated by a stomach virus. + debilitating de·bili·tat·ing a debilitating illness. + debilitated de·bili·tat·ed Occasionally a patient is so debilitated that he must be fed intravenously
To debilitate an organization, society, or government means to gradually make it weaker. their efforts to debilitate the political will of the Western alliance. + debilitating de·bili·tat·ing years of debilitating economic crisis. + debilitated de·bili·tat·ed the debilitated ruling party