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."

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."

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."