weak

comparative weaker · superlative weakest · alternative obsolete weake

1. Lacking in force (usually strength) or ability.

   The child was too weak to move the boulder.

   4 more examples

   They easily guessed his weak computer password.

   a poor, infirm, weak, and despised old man

   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]

   weak with hunger, mad with love

   1700, [John] Dryden, “Palamon and Arcite: Or, The Knight’s Tale. In Three Books.”, in Fables Ancient and Modern; […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC

   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.

   2022 October 11, Julia Horowitz, “‘The worst is yet to come’: IMF issues stark recession warning”, in CNN, archived from the original on 05 Aug 2025

   Synonyms: feeble, frail, powerless, vincible, assailable, vulnerable

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

   a weak timber; a weak rope

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

   weak resolutions; weak virtue

   1 more example

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

   1703, Nicholas Rowe, The Fair Penitent, act I, scene I

5. oftenHaving 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

   2065 April 23, “I Can't Help Myself”, in Four Tops Second Album, performed by The Four Tops

   1 more example

   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

   2006 April 3, “Lips Of An Angel”, in Extreme Behavior, performed by Hinder

6. Dilute, lacking in taste or potency.

   We were served stale bread and weak tea.

   1 more example

   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.

   1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter II, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC

   Synonyms: dilute, watery

7. Displaying a particular kind of inflection, including:
   1. Germanic languagesgrammarRegular in inflection, lacking vowel changes and having a past tense marked by /-d-/, /-t-/, or /-ð-/.

      The verb to run is strong, not weak, because the past tense is ran.

      2 more examples

      The verb to walk is weak because it has a past tense of walked and all forms are inflected by adding the typical suffix (ie is regular) to the stem walk- (ie has no vowel changes).

      The verb to be is neither weak nor strong, instead it is highly irregular in all inflections; its third person present tense is is instead of *bes (which can even be seen in this very sentence) and its past tense is was or were instead of *bed or *beed or anything similar, just to name a few of its inflections.

      Antonyms: strong

   2. Germanic languagesgrammarShowing less distinct grammatical endings.

      Antonyms: strong

   3. Germanic languagesgrammarDefinite in meaning, often used with a definite article or similar word.

      Antonyms: strong

   4. Semitic languagesgrammarRelated to, containing, or being a consonant which is prone to disappearing in some inflections, in most applicable languages including (but not limited to) w and y.

      In some Semitic languages such as Akkadian, some or all gutturals are weak and often disappear, but in others such as Arabic and Ugaritic, they are strong and never disappear.

      1 more example

      The reflexes of the Proto-Semitic verb *mawut- (“to die”) are often weak due to the presence of w, for example: Arabic مَاتَ (māta), Hebrew מֵת (mēṯ), and Ugaritic 𐎎𐎚 (mt /⁠māta⁠/).

      Antonyms: strong

   5. Uralic languagesgrammarRelated to, being, or containing the lenis consonant gradation, which resulted from historically closed syllables.

      The Finnish verb kääntää (“to translate”) inflects to the singular imperative as käännä, showing the weak gradation nt > nn because it historically ended in a consonant which closed the syllable.

      Antonyms: strong

8. Indo European studiesespeciallyOf a form in which the accent tends to shift forwards (to the right, in transcription) or did so ancestrally in Proto-Indo-European, relative to the strong stem (which has the leftmost accent allowed).

   2 more examples

   Paradigmatic slots in which the accent and correlating e-grade are positioned further to the left of the word are traditionally termed strong, those with accent and e-grade further to the right, are called weak. In all nouns and verbs which show these alternations, the strong and the weak forms are predictable from the morphological category […].

   2007, James Clackson, Indo-European Linguistics: An Introduction, Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, section 3.5, page 79

   The PIE zero grade was most often found in weak stems, such as in *mn̥téys (“of thought, from thinking”, genitive/ablative singular of *méntis) and *mn̥yóh₂er (“I am thinking”). Over time it spread to strong stems, i.e. *mń̥tis, by processes of analogy and leveling. The full grade was persistent in the first syllable of reduplicated stative verbs: strong *tetórph₂e (“I am satisfied”), weak *tetr̥pmé (“we all are satisfied”), though for some verbs such as *pí-ph₃-e- (“to drink”) there was an unusual i-grade which may have lacked any distinct weak counterpart.

   Antonyms: strong

   1. Indo European studiesespeciallyIn a grammatical case other than nominative, accusative, vocative or sometimes locative singular.

      Antonyms: strong

   2. Indo European studiesespeciallyIn a conjugation other than singular active forms (regardless of person, tense etc.).

      All middle forms of Indo-European verbs are traditionally weak. Middle-only verbs can still be compared to hypothetical strong stems, such as weak *ǵn̥h₁-yé- (e.g. *ǵn̥h₁yéto, “(he/she/it) was born”) versus strong *ǵénh₁-ye-.

      Antonyms: strong

9. human sciencesLenis, pronounced with less force or less markedness.
10. chemistryThat does not ionize completely into anions and cations in a solution.

    a weak acid

    2 more examples

    a weak base

    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.

11. natural sciencesOne of the four fundamental forces associated with nuclear decay.
12. slangBad or uncool.

    This place is weak.

13. human sciencesHaving a narrow range of logical consequences; narrowly applicable. (Often contrasted with a strong statement which implies it.)
14. Resulting from, or indicating, lack of judgment, discernment, or firmness; unwise; hence, foolish.

    If evil thence ensue, / She first his weak indulgence will accuse.

    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

15. Not having power to convince; not supported by force of reason or truth; unsustained.

    The prosecution advanced a weak case.

    2 more examples

    convinced of his weak arguing

    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

    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.

    2012, Joseph L. Taylor, Foundations of Analysis, American Mathematical Society, page 114

16. Lacking in vigour or expression.

    a weak sentence; a weak style

    1 more example

    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.

    2012 December 15, Ann Hornaday, “‘The Hobbit’ Is Long, Feels Even Longer”, in Valley News, volume 61, number 190, page C3, column 4

17. Not prevalent or effective, or not felt to be prevalent; not potent; feeble.

    Thy threats have no more strength than her weak prayers.

    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]

18. businessTending towards lower prices.

    a weak market; wheat is weak at present

19. artsLacking contrast.

    a weak negative