sap
To exhaust the vitality ofTo exhaust the vitality of.
» The constant arguments sapped her energy.
Der ständige Streit zehrte an ihren Kräften.
Meaning
8 senses(figuratively, transitive)To exhaust the vitality of.
(transitive)To drain, suck or absorb sap from (a tree, etc.).
(transitive)To make unstable or infirm; to unsettle; to weaken.
(transitive)To gradually drain (someone's energy or vitality).
to sap one’s conscience
He saps my energy.
erschöpfen, aufzehren
истощатьistoščatʹ, иссуша́тьissušátʹ
(transitive)To pierce with saps.
(transitive)To subvert by digging or wearing away; to mine; to undermine; to destroy the foundation of.
To subvert by digging or wearing away; to mine; to undermine; to destroy the foundation of.
(intransitive, transitive)To proceed by mining, or by secretly undermining; to execute saps.
(slang, transitive)To strike with a sap (with a blackjack).
- excavate the earth beneath
- deplete
Examples
24 sentencesThe constant arguments sapped her energy.
deDer ständige Streit zehrte an ihren Kräften.
The wise teacher knew about the sap.
Anyone who works here is a sap.
Wash the mangoes to remove their sap.
The tree's sap was sticky and sweet-smelling.
Translations
6 languagesBy meaning 1
By meaning 1
Origin
From Middle English sap, from Old English sæp (“juice, sap”), from Proto-West Germanic *saFrom Middle English sap, from Old English sæp (“juice, sap”), from Proto-West Germanic *sap (“sap, juice”) (compare Dutch sap, German Saft, Icelandic safi), from Proto-Indo-European *sab-, *sap- (“to taste”) (compare Welsh syb-wydd (“fir”), Latin sapa (“must, new wine”), Russian со́пли (sópli, “snivel”), Old Armenian համ (ham, “taste”), Avestan 𐬬𐬌-𐬱𐬁𐬞𐬀 (vi-šāpa, “having poisonous juices”), Sanskrit सबर् (sabar, “juice, nectar”)). More at sage.
From French saper (compare Spanish zapar and Italian zappare) from sape (“sort of scythe”), from Late Latin sappa (“sort of mattock”).
Probably from sapling.
Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Forms
saps, sapping, sapped, sappedSynonyms
4 synonymsWord family
2 related wordsLessons for this word
3 lessons- A1Present simple — Because it is a verb
- A1Past simple, regular verbs — Because of its past form
- A2Present perfect: introduction — Because of its past participle