Meanings
noundebuff (plural debuffs)
plural debuffs
- roleplaying gamesvideo gamesAn effect that makes a game character weaker; a negative status effect.
Synonyms: nerf, status ailment
verbdebuff (third-person singular simple present debuffs, present participle debuffing, simple past and past participle debuffed)
present singular third person debuffs · participle present debuffing · participle past debuffed · past debuffed
- roleplaying gamesvideo gamesTo make a character or unit weaker.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounAn effect that makes a game character weaker; a negative status effect.
Similar
Also see
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*de
- Proto-Indo-European*déh₁
- Proto-Italic*dē
- Latindē
- Latindē-
- Englishde-
- Ancient Greek[Term?]?
- Ancient Greekβούβαλος (boúbalos)
- Latinbūbalus
- Late Latinbufalus
- Italianbufalo
- Old Frenchbufle
- Middle Frenchbuffle
- Englishbuffe
- Englishbuff
- Englishdebuff
From de- + buff (“to make a player or item stronger”).
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Mandarin 減弱 /减弱
- 減弱 /减弱 (jiǎnruò)to make something weaker
Japanese デバフ
- デバフ (debafu)to make something weaker
Spanish perjuicio, maleficio
- perjuicioin video games
- maleficioin video games
- desventajain video games
- debilitamientoin video games
- despotenciaciónin video games
- empeorarto make something weaker
- debilitarto make something weaker
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with debuff
throughenoughtoughroughbluffcoughdoughcuffbuffsloughhuffruffsnuffflufftuffhoughcloughgruffscuffscruffguffrebuffchoughsough
All rhymes →Cite this entry
APA
debuff. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/debuff
MLA
“debuff.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/debuff. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “debuff,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/debuff.
Source: debuff on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.