sap (1) — OAT

sap1

noun

1 these insects suck the sap from the roots of trees:

plant fluid, vital fluid, life fluid, juice, secretion, liquor, liquid.

2 people full of sap and ready to go:

vigor, energy, gusto, drive, push, brio, dynamism, life, go, spirit, liveliness, animation, bounce, sparkle, effervescence, fizz, verve, spiritedness, ebullience, high spirits, enthusiasm, initiative, vitality, vivacity, fire, dash, panache, elan, snap, zest, zeal, exuberance;

informal feistiness, get-up-and-go, gumption, oomph, pizzazz, vim, zing, zip.

verb

1 the great loss of life had sapped the will of the troops to attack:

erode, wear away, wear down, deplete, reduce, lessen, lower, attenuate, undermine, exhaust, impair, drain, bleed, consume.

2 the confirmation of his friend's guilt sapped him of all energy:

drain, empty, exhaust, deprive, milk.