Weakness and Deterioration: English Vocabulary List

to diminish in quantity or size over time

"Water supplies dwindled during the drought."

"The food supplies began to dwindle rapidly as more and more refugees arrived at the camp every single day."

to gradually drain or deplete someone's power or strength

"The heat sapped our energy completely."

"The intense heat of the desert sun sapped the energy of the exhausted hikers who had run out of water."

to gradually decrease the effectiveness, confidence, or power of something or someone

"His words undermine trust."

"His constant criticism began to undermine her confidence and made her doubt her own abilities."

to gradually disappear or spread out

"The crowd dissipated after the concert ended."

"The thick morning fog began to dissipate as the sun rose higher in the clear sky."

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

"His comments only exacerbated the argument."

"His rude comments only served to exacerbate the already tense situation between the two angry coworkers in the office."

able to be physically harmed or wounded

"The child is vulnerable."

"The vulnerable child was easy to bully because he was smaller than the other kids and he did not have many friends."

difficult to notice or detect because of its slight or delicate nature

"There is a subtle difference."

"There is a subtle difference between the two shades of blue but you have to look closely to see it."

easily damaged or broken

"The glass is fragile."

"The fragile glass vase broke into a thousand pieces when it accidentally fell off the table onto the floor."

likely to break due to the lack of strength or durability

"The bridge is flimsy."

"The flimsy excuse he offered for being late was not convincing and was easily seen through by his boss."

lacking strength or power, often feeling unable to act or influence a situation

"The animal is helpless."

"The helpless kitten was stuck in the tree and could not climb down without someone's help and rescue."

easily broken, cracked, or shattered due to the lack of flexibility and resilience

"The cookie is brittle."

"The brittle old book pages crumbled to dust when he tried to turn them because they were so dry and fragile."

a physical or mental condition that prevents a person from using some part of their body completely or learning something easily

"Her disability does not limit her ambition."

"The company installed wheelchair ramps and accessible bathrooms to accommodate employees with physical disabilities and comply with the new regulations."

a flaw or weakness that reduces the quality or effectiveness of something or someone

"His main shortcoming was impatience."

"His only shortcoming as a manager was his impatience with slow workers though he was otherwise fair and supportive."

a flaw or deficiency that impairs the quality or effectiveness of something

"A defect in the plan."

"The manufacturing defect caused many products to break easily after only a few weeks of normal daily use."