What does "hebetate" mean?

To render obtuse; to dull; to blunt.

What is a synonym for "hebetate"?

Common synonyms include: blunt, desensitize, dull, pointed, stupefy, weaken.

Hebetate

//ˈhɛbɪtət// adj, verb

adj, verb ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Verb

1
To render obtuse; to dull; to blunt. transitive
"[…] whenever a state shall duly exercise its parental duties, there will surely be none which shall either wholly hebetate the faculties or harden the heart."

Adjective

1
Obtuse, dull.
2
Having a dull or blunt and soft point

Synonyms

All synonyms

blunt desensitize dull pointed stupefy weaken

Example

More examples

"[…] whenever a state shall duly exercise its parental duties, there will surely be none which shall either wholly hebetate the faculties or harden the heart."

Etymology

First attested in 1574; borrowed from Latin hebetātus, perfect passive participle of hebetō (“to dull”), see -ate (adjective-forming suffix) and -ate (verb-forming suffix).

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.