Impair
from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Impair \Im*pair"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Impaired}; p. pr. & vb.
n. {Impairing}.] [Written also {empair}.] [OE. empeiren,
enpeiren, OF. empeirier, empirier, F. empirer, LL.
impejorare; L. pref. im- in + pejorare to make worse, fr.
pejor worse. Cf. {Appair}.]
To make worse; to diminish in quantity, value, excellence, or
strength; to deteriorate; as, to impair health, character,
the mind, value.
[1913 Webster]
Time sensibly all things impairs. --Roscommon.
[1913 Webster]
In years he seemed, but not impaired by years. --Pope.
Syn: To diminish; decrease; injure; weaken; enfeeble;
debilitate; reduce; debase; deteriorate.
[1913 Webster]
from
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0
109 Moby Thesaurus words for "impair":
abate, abrade, abstract, abuse, afflict, aggravate, aggrieve, bate,
befoul, bewitch, blemish, blight, condemn, corrupt, cripple,
crucify, curse, curtail, damage, decrease, deduct, defile, deprave,
depreciate, derogate, despoil, destroy, deteriorate, detract,
dilapidate, diminish, disadvantage, disparage, disserve, distress,
do a mischief, do evil, do ill, do wrong, do wrong by, doom, drain,
eat away, embitter, endamage, envenom, erode, exacerbate, extract,
file away, get into trouble, harass, harm, hex, hurt, infect,
injure, irritate, jinx, leach, lessen, make worse, maltreat, mar,
menace, mistreat, molest, outrage, persecute, play havoc with,
play hob with, poison, pollute, prejudice, purify, put back,
reduce, refine, remove, retrench, rub away, ruin, sap, savage,
scathe, shorten, spoil, subduct, subtract, taint, take away,
take from, tarnish, thin, thin out, threaten, torment, torture,
undermine, violate, vitiate, weaken, wear away, weed, withdraw,
worsen, wound, wreak havoc on, wrong
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