Synonyms

incapacitate

American

[in-kuh-pas-i-teyt] / ˌɪn kəˈpæs ɪˌteɪt /

verb (used with object)

incapacitated, incapacitating

to deprive of ability, qualification, or strength; make incapable or unfit; disable.

Synonyms:

weaken, impair, sideline, handicap
Law. to deprive of the legal power to act in a specified way or ways.

incapacitate British

/ ˌɪnkəˈpæsɪˌteɪt /

verb

to deprive of power, strength, or capacity; disable
to deprive of legal capacity or eligibility

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

incapacitation noun

Etymology

Origin of incapacitate

First recorded in 1650–60; incapacit(y) + -ate ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Electroshock weapons are designed to temporarily incapacitate suspects with a shock before police detain them.

From Barron's • Feb. 19, 2026

He described them as a "highly intelligent" and "active predator" equipped with "specialised glands that produce venom to incapacitate its prey".

From BBC • Jan. 21, 2026

“The executive thus can neither outright abolish an agency nor incapacitate it by cutting away the personnel required to implement the agency’s statutorily-mandated duties.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 13, 2025

The second study found racial disparities in injuries that occurred when Tasers and similar weapons were used by police to incapacitate people.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 5, 2024

While it did not incapacitate the president, it did weaken him and, according to his cabinet, made him even more irascible.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023