To remove life, spirit, or energy from something; to make lifeless or deprive of animation.
From dis- (reversal) + animate (to give life to). Animate comes from Latin animatus, the past participle of animare, from anima meaning 'soul' or 'breath of life.'
This is the opposite of 'animate'—while animators bring drawings to life, something disanimated loses its spark; the word perfectly captures why a joke told badly can suddenly feel disanimated compared to when it's delivered with energy.
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