Choose the word which is nearest in meaning to the given word. The target word is "debilitate", commonly used to describe making someone or something weak.

Introduction / Context:
This vocabulary question tests your understanding of the verb debilitate, a word often used in medical, health, and general contexts. To answer correctly, you must know what effect debilitation has on a person, organisation, or system, and choose the option that captures the same meaning in simpler language.

Given Data / Assumptions:

The word to be defined is "debilitate".
We assume the usual meaning: to make someone weak, either physically or mentally, or to reduce the strength of a system.
The correct synonym must express weakening, not total destruction or overcoming challenges.

The options include verbs connected with attack, overcoming, and motivation, but only one matches the sense of weakening.

Concept / Approach:
To debilitate is to make weak. For example, a long illness can debilitate a patient, or corruption can debilitate an institution. The key idea is reduction in strength, energy, or effectiveness, not necessarily complete destruction. Weaken fits this meaning well. Attack simply means to take aggressive action against someone or something; it may or may not result in debilitation. Surmount means to overcome a difficulty, which is almost the opposite in spirit, and destroy implies total ruin rather than just weakening.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that debilitate means to make someone or something weak, less able, or less effective. Step 2: Look for an option that directly captures the idea of reducing strength or power. Step 3: Option A Weaken matches this meaning exactly; it is the natural, simpler synonym. Step 4: Option B Attack focuses on the act of aggression, not the final condition of weakness. Step 5: Option C Surmount means to overcome or rise above a difficulty, which is more about strength than weakness. Step 6: Option D Destroy is stronger than debilitate; it suggests complete ruin, while debilitate often means partial weakening. Step 7: Option E Motivate is unrelated; it means to encourage or inspire, which often strengthens rather than weakens.

Verification / Alternative check:
Check with example sentences: The long war debilitated the nation makes sense because the war made the nation weaker. If we substitute weaken, The long war weakened the nation also makes perfect sense. But using destroy would change the idea to total ruin, which may not be accurate. Debilitating illness and weakening illness are nearly interchangeable, while motivating illness or surmounting illness clearly do not fit. This confirms that weaken is the best synonym.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option B Attack refers to an action taken; it may lead to debilitation but is not itself a synonym for the condition of becoming weak.
Option C Surmount means to overcome or defeat obstacles, which is positive and strength-based, unlike debilitate.
Option D Destroy usually implies complete ruin, whereas debilitate can describe partial or temporary loss of strength.
Option E Motivate strengthens or encourages, which is the opposite effect of debilitation.

Common Pitfalls:
Some exam takers choose attack or destroy because they sound strong and dramatic, but these words describe different aspects of conflict than debilitate does. Always separate the action from the effect. Debilitate is about the effect—weakness—so you should look for words like weaken, drain, or enfeeble, not those that focus on acts of aggression or total annihilation.

Final Answer:
The word nearest in meaning to "debilitate" is weaken.