DESICCATE

**Part of Speech:** Verb **Definition** : to dry up; to preserve (food); to drain of emotional or intellectual vitality **Sentence** : The hope of a bright future and the prospects of prosperity in the minds of the Joads proved to be fleeting due to the inability to find work or stable shelter __**desiccating**__ the will to fight and vigor for new opportunities previously possessed by the characters. **Synonyms/Antonyms** : (S) dampen, deaden, dehydrate, enervate; (A) energize, enliven, invigorate
 * Word** : Desiccate

Source: Merriam-Webster Dictionary