WordGarden.ioincapacitate
C2Pronunciation
UK
- /ɪnkəpˈæsɪtˌeɪt/
US
- /ˌɪnkəˈpæsɪˌteɪt/
Meanings
Verb
to make a person or animal unable to move, act, or function
to make a machine, device, or system unable to operate
Beyond the definition
To incapacitate someone or something means to make them unable to function or act normally. A broken leg might leave an athlete unable to play, and a sudden illness can leave you unable to work for days. In some cases, a person may try to stop an opponent without causing lasting harm. The idea is simple: someone or something is put out of action because they no longer have the strength, power, or ability to do what they normally do.
Imagine a climber halfway up a mountain who suddenly twists an ankle. They may still be awake and aware, but they cannot keep climbing. That gets to the heart of what "incapacitate" means: to make someone or something unable to act, work, or function as usual.
It is often used for injury or illness. A severe case of the flu might leave you stuck in bed and unable to work. A sports injury could leave an athlete unable to continue a game. But the word is not limited to physical harm. In legal or medical settings, a person may be described as "incapacitated" if they are mentally unable to make sound decisions, such as handling money or signing important papers.
The condition may be temporary or permanent, but very often the idea is that normal action has been stopped for a period of time. Someone can be incapacitated by fatigue, a side effect from medicine, shock, or an injury. Police reports, medical writing, and everyday speech may all use the word when a person cannot move, respond, or function in the usual way.
So whether the cause is a broken bone, a serious illness, or a legal finding about mental ability, the word points to the same basic idea: a person or thing has been made unable to function normally.
Examples
- 1
Injury result
The accident left him temporarily incapacitated.
- 2
Migraine
A severe migraine can incapacitate her for the rest of the day.
- 3
Flight emergency
If the pilot becomes incapacitated during the flight, the co-pilot takes control.
- Usagebecome incapacitated
a common formal way to say someone suddenly cannot do their job or duties
- 4
Police restraint
Police said the spray was used to incapacitate the suspect without causing permanent injury.
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Legal affairs
After the stroke, she was mentally incapacitated and could no longer manage her own affairs.
See also
Similar
- disable
- put out of action
Shades of meaning
Contrast
Used with (collocations)
- incapacitate a suspect
- temporarily incapacitated
- incapacitated by injury
Word family
- incapacitated
- incapacitation
Explore
- loss of function
- temporary disability
Forms and spellings
4 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- incapacitateverb
Forms
- incapacitatedpast tenseverb
- incapacitating-ing formverb
- incapacitatesverb