sapping
Slowly wearing down
Sapping is the act of gradually draining strength, energy, or resources.
Heat saps your energy; prolonged conflict saps morale; endless meetings sap productivity.
The humid weather was sapping everyone's will to work.
In military contexts, sapping refers to digging trenches or tunnels to undermine fortifications—the origin of the figurative sense of slow, steady weakening.
Depleting one's stamina
- depletingProgressively using up
- weakeningBecoming less strong
- diminishingBecoming progressively less
- erodingGradually wearing away
consuming · draining · bleeding · devitalizing · enervating · debilitating · undermining · enfeebling
Long narrow excavation
- tunnelEnclosed underground route
- siegeEncirclement forcing surrender
- fortificationStrengthening defenses or nutrients
- underminingWeakening by covert means
excavation · approach · mine · parallel · battery · earthwork · breach · rampart
Enclosed underground route
- shaftNarrow vertical passage
- excavationAct of unearthing
- burrowAnimal's dug dwelling
- diggingRemoving earth below
underground · gallery · adit · stope · boring · trenching · shoring · subterranean
State of utter depletion
- wearinessState of being drained
- tirednessState of needing rest
- burnoutChronic occupational depletion
- lethargyAbnormal drowsiness and apathy
enervation · languor · debilitation · sluggishness · torpor · listlessness · prostration · malaise
exhausting
Depleting one's stamina
- depletingProgressively using up
- weakeningBecoming less strong
- diminishingBecoming progressively less
eroding · consuming · draining · bleeding · devitalizing · enervating · debilitating · undermining · enfeebling · attenuating
trench
Long narrow excavation
- tunnelEnclosed underground route
- siegeEncirclement forcing surrender
- fortificationStrengthening defenses or nutrients
undermining · excavation · approach · mine · parallel · battery · earthwork · breach · rampart · warfare
tunnel
Enclosed underground route
- shaftNarrow vertical passage
- excavationAct of unearthing
- burrowAnimal's dug dwelling
digging · underground · gallery · adit · stope · boring · trenching · shoring · subterranean · earthmoving
exhaustion
State of utter depletion
lethargy · enervation · languor · debilitation · sluggishness · torpor · listlessness · prostration · malaise · depletion
- decliningdeclining, waning, fading, diminishing, decreasing
- energy depletionfatigue, exhaustion, tiredness, burnout, weariness
- exhaustingdraining, taxing, tiring, exhausting, fatiguing
- fatigueexhaustion, tiredness, weariness, lethargy, chronic fatigue
- depletingusing up, depleting, exhausting, draining, consuming
- depletionsdrain, exhaustion, consumption, draining, emptying
sappinginvigorating
Imparting fresh energy
energizing · revitalizing · revitalising · restorative · rejuvenating
sappingreinforcing
Making more robust
bolstering · strengthening · buttressing · shoring up · fortifying
sap, sapling, sapped, sapient, saps, saplings, sapience, sapper, sapwood