weak
Language: English
Part of speech: adj
Pronunciation: enpr: wēk
ipa: /wiːk/
rhymes: -iːk
homophone: week
Forms: form: weaker
form: weakest
form: weake
Etymology: From Middle English weyk, wayk, weik, waik, from Old Norse veikr (“weak”), from Proto-Germanic *waikwaz (“weak, yielded, pliant, bendsome”), from Proto-Indo-European *weyk- (“to bend, wind”).
Cognate with Old English wāc (“weak, bendsome”), Saterland Frisian wook (“soft, gentle, tender”), West Frisian weak (“soft”), Dutch week (“soft, weak”), German weich (“weak, soft”), Norwegian veik (“weak”), Swedish vek (“weak, pliant”), Icelandic veikur (“bendsome, weak”). Related to Old English wīcan (“to yield”). Doublet of week and wick.
Senses: examples: text: The child was too weak to move the boulder.
text: They easily guessed his weak computer password.
text: a poor, infirm, weak, and despised old man
ref: c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii]:
text: weak with hunger, mad with love
ref: 1700, [John] Dryden, “Palamon and Arcite: Or, The Knight’s Tale. In Three Books.”, in Fables Ancient and Modern; […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:
text: The prospects for the global economy as outlined by the IMF are the third weakest since 2001, behind only the 2008 financial crisis and the worst phase of the coronavirus pandemic. Global growth has fallen below 2% just five times since 1970.
ref: 2022 October 11, Julia Horowitz, “‘The worst is yet to come’: IMF issues stark recession warning”, in CNN:
glosses: Lacking in force (usually strength) or ability.
examples: text: a weak timber; a weak rope
glosses: Unable to sustain a great weight, pressure, or strain.
examples: text: weak resolutions; weak virtue
text: Guard thy heart / On this weak side, where most our nature fails.
ref: 1703, Nicholas Rowe, The Fair Penitent, act I, scene I:
glosses: Unable to withstand temptation, urgency, persuasion, etc.; easily impressed, moved, or overcome; accessible; vulnerable.
examples: text: 'Cause sugar pie, honey bunch
You know that I'm weak for you
Can't help myself
I love you and nobody else
ref: 2065 April 23, “I Can't Help Myself”, in Four Tops Second Album, performed by The Four Tops:
text: 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
ref: 2006 April 3, “Lips Of An Angel”, in Extreme Behavior, performed by Hinder:
glosses: Having a strong, irrepressible emotional love for someone or (less often) something; sentimentally affected by such love.
raw_tags: with for
examples: text: That the young Mr. Churchills liked—but they did not like him coming round of an evening and drinking weak whisky-and-water while he held forth on railway debentures and corporation loans. Mr. Barrett, however, by fawning and flattery, seemed to be able to make not only Mrs. Churchill but everyone else do what he desired.
ref: 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter II, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
text: We were served stale bread and weak tea.
glosses: Dilute, lacking in taste or potency.
topics: grammar
human-sciences
linguistics
sciences
glosses: Displaying a particular kind of inflection, including:
Regular in inflection, lacking vowel changes and having a past tense with -d- or -t-.
qualifier: Germanic languages
raw_tags: of verbs
topics: grammar
human-sciences
linguistics
sciences
glosses: Displaying a particular kind of inflection, including:
Showing less distinct grammatical endings.
qualifier: Germanic languages
raw_tags: of nouns
topics: grammar
human-sciences
linguistics
sciences
glosses: Displaying a particular kind of inflection, including:
Definite in meaning, often used with a definite article or similar word.
qualifier: Germanic languages
raw_tags: of adjectives
examples: text: a weak acid
text: a weak base
text: When we say that an acid is weak, we refer only to its degree of dissociation, not to its degree of corrosiveness; but it is true that those two traits often correlate, though.
topics: chemistry
natural-sciences
physical-sciences
glosses: That does not ionize completely into anions and cations in a solution.
topics: natural-sciences
physical-sciences
physics
glosses: One of the four fundamental forces associated with nuclear decay.
examples: text: This place is weak.
glosses: Bad or uncool.
topics: human-sciences
logic
mathematics
philosophy
sciences
glosses: Having a narrow range of logical consequences; narrowly applicable. (Often contrasted with a strong statement which implies it.)
examples: text: If evil thence ensue, / She first his weak indulgence will accuse.
ref: 1667, John Milton, “Book IX”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:
glosses: Resulting from, or indicating, lack of judgment, discernment, or firmness; unwise; hence, foolish.
examples: text: The prosecution advanced a weak case.
text: convinced of his weak arguing
ref: 1671, John Milton, “The Third Book”, in Paradise Regain’d. A Poem. In IV Books. To which is Added, Samson Agonistes, London: […] J[ohn] M[acock] for John Starkey […], →OCLC:
text: There are two fundamental theorems of calculus. Both relate differentiation to integration. In most calculus courses, the Second Fundamental Theorem is usually proved first and then used to prove the First Fundamental Theorem. Unfortunately, this results in a First Fundamental Theorem that is weaker than it could be.
ref: 2012, Joseph L. Taylor, Foundations of Analysis, American Mathematical Society, page 114:
glosses: Not having power to convince; not supported by force of reason or truth; unsustained.
examples: text: a weak sentence; a weak style
text: It could turn out that An Unexpected Journey is the weakest of this trilogy, the necessary preamble before less-stultifying action and more engaging character development ensue. But, to paraphrase the sweet and stout-hearted Bilbo himself, this adventure won’t just make you late for dinner. It might make you miss breakfast and lunch, too. Only the most dedicated Middle-earthers will find that the hunger pangs are worth it.
ref: 2012 December 15, Ann Hornaday, “‘The Hobbit’ Is Long, Feels Even Longer”, in Valley News, volume 61, number 190, page C3, column 4:
glosses: Lacking in vigour or expression.
examples: text: Thy threats have no more strength than her weak prayers.
ref: c. 1595–1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “A Midsommer Nights Dreame”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii]:
glosses: Not prevalent or effective, or not felt to be prevalent; not potent; feeble.
examples: text: a weak market; wheat is weak at present
topics: business
finance
stock-exchange
glosses: Tending towards lower prices.
examples: text: a weak negative
topics: arts
hobbies
lifestyle
photography
glosses: Lacking contrast.
Synonyms: sense: lacking in force or ability
word: feeble
sense: lacking in force or ability
word: frail
sense: lacking in force or ability
word: powerless
sense: lacking in force or ability
word: vincible
sense: lacking in force or ability
word: assailable
sense: lacking in force or ability
word: vulnerable
sense: lacking in taste or potency
word: dilute
sense: lacking in taste or potency
word: watery
word: anemic
word: breakable
word: broken-down
word: damaged
word: debilitated
word: decrepit
word: delicate
word: dickless
word: effete
word: enervated
word: enfeebled
word: exhausted
word: faint
word: flimsy
word: fragile
word: harmed
word: hurt
word: impaired
word: impotent
word: infirm
word: injured
word: languid
word: low
word: prostrated
word: prostrate
word: puny
word: raddled
word: resistless
word: sapped
word: slightsoft
word: softened
word: susceptible
word: tender
word: tired
word: torpid
word: unresistant
word: wasted
word: weak
word: weakened
word: weary
word: weedy
word: wimpy
word: worn out
word: yielding
Hypernyms: word: lacking
Hyponyms: word: depleted
word: deteriorated
word: scrawny
Derived terms: bring it weak
electroweak
miliweak
nonweak
overweak
piss-weak
piss weak
superweak
the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak
the strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must
weak AI
weak artificial intelligence
weak as piss
weak as water
weak-bladdered
weak-chinned
weak copyleft
weak declension
weaken
weaker sex
weaker vessel
weakest link
weak-eyed
weakfish
weak force
weak-handed
weak-headed
weak-hearted
weakino
weak interaction
weak in the knees
weakish
weak isospin
weak-kneed
weakling
weak link
weakly
weak mayor
weak-minded
weakness
weak nuclear
weak nuclear force
weak nuclear interaction
weakon
weak point
weak pronoun
weak reference
weaksauce
weak sauce
weakside
weak-side
weak side
weak-sighted
weak sister
weaksome
weak sore
weak spot
weak tea
weak typing
weak verb
weak-willed
weaky
Related terms: word: weak spot