weak

UK /wiːk/ US /wik/

adj 5

Definitions

adj

Lacking in force (usually strength) or ability.

The child was too weak to move the boulder.

They easily guessed his weak computer password.

Unable to sustain a great weight, pressure, or strain.

a weak timber; a weak rope

Limp, soft.

Unable to withstand temptation, urgency, persuasion, etc.; easily impressed, moved, or overcome; accessible; vulnerable.

weak resolutions; weak virtue

Guard thy heart / On this weak side, where most our nature fails.

Having a strong, irrepressible emotional love for someone or (less often) something; sentimentally affected by such love.

'Cause sugar pie, honey bunch You know that I'm weak for you Can't help myself I love you and nobody else

It’s really good to hear your voice Sayin' my name, it sounds so sweet Comin' from the lips of an angel Hearin' those words, it makes me weak

Collocations

(adj.)

VERBS

appear, be, feel, look, seem, sound

become, go

remain

leave sb, make sb

After working in the garden all morning, the heat made her weak and dizzy.

ADV

decidedly, extremely, fundamentally, particularly, very

a bit, comparatively, fairly, pretty, quite, rather, relatively

curiously

After the long illness, she felt curiously weak whenever she tried to climb the stairs.

surprisingly

dangerously

lamentably

suddenly

The patient's voice grew suddenly weak after the long surgery.

inherently

The argument for closing the library was inherently weak because most people used it regularly.

economically, mentally, militarily, physically, politically

PREP

My brother has always been weak at sports, so he prefers to spend time reading instead.

from

After the long hike, he felt weak from exhaustion and needed to rest.

My daughter needs extra tutoring because she's weak in mathematics.

The new restaurant has great atmosphere but their menu is quite weak on vegetarian options.

with

After running the marathon, the athlete's legs felt weak with exhaustion.

PHRASES

weak at the knees

When she saw the surprise party, she felt weak at the knees and had to sit down.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

adjective — overly diluted

adjective — wanting in moral strength, courage, or will

fallible
frail
imperfect

adjective — deficient in magnitude

faint

adjective — lacking bodily or muscular strength or vitality

decrepit
debile
feeble
infirm
rickety
sapless
weakly

adjective — (used of vowels or syllables) pronounced with little or no s

Antonyms

strong

Idioms & Phrases

bring it weak

To fail to accomplish an accomplishable task or to make an attempt at less than maximum effort; to "half-ass" or "fake the funk".

Unwilling to try his hardest, Jason instead chose to bring it weak at the gym, and didn't even break a sweat.

the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak

As much as one wishes to achieve something, the frailties of the human body often make it impossible. Sometimes extended to jocular or organizational referents.

It’s obvious that when it comes to business vs government regulation the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.

weak sister

A person who is cowardly or indecisive.

"Your course of action this past year has bordered on criminal negligence," he barks to the man whose job he means to take. "You're a weak sister, Mr. President."

weak tea

Weak or feeble arguments, efforts, or proposals.

the strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must

The weak cannot resist the decisions of the strong; power, not morality, decides the outcome of any dispute.

Bitter is the necessity of it. It knows no law. In the world the strong do what they can, and the weak suffer what they must.

Example Bank

The child was too weak to move the boulder.

Wiktionary

They easily guessed his weak computer password.

Wiktionary

a poor, infirm, weak, and despised old man

Wiktionary

The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.

Tatoeba · #2454

The strong will survive and the weak will die.

Tatoeba · #19218

The strong must help the weak.

Tatoeba · #19219

Usage Notes

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