weak

I

(New American Roget's College Thesaurus)

adj. feeble (see weakness); faulty, unsatisfactory; uncertain, unsure, irresolute; watery, diluted, attenuated; faint, soft. See imperfection, uncertainty, cowardice, changeableness, softness.

II

(Roget's IV) modif.

1. [Lacking physical strength; said of persons ]

Syn. delicate, puny, flabby, flaccid, debilitated, effeminate, feeble, frail, sickly, infirm, decrepit, enervated, senile; see also sick .

Ant. strong*, healthy*, robust.

2. [Lacking physical strength; said of things ]

Syn. flimsy, makeshift, brittle, unsubstantial, jerry-built, rickety, tumbledown, sleazy, shaky, unsteady, ramshackle, rotten, wobbly, tottery, top-heavy.

Ant. strong*, shatter-proof, sturdy.

3. [Lacking mental firmness or character]

Syn. weak-minded, nerveless, fainthearted, irresolute, nervous, spineless, unstrung, palsied, wishy-washy, caitiff, hesitant, vacilLating, frightened.

Ant. brave*, courageous, adventurous.

4. [Lacking in volume]

Syn. thin, low, soft, indistinct, feeble, faint, dim, muffled, whispered, bated, inaudible, light, stifled, dull, pale.

Ant. loud*, strong, forceful.

5. [Lacking in military power]

Syn. small, paltry, ineffectual, ineffective, inadequate, impotent, ill-equipped, insufficiently armed, limited, unorganized, undisciplined, untrained, vulnerable, exposed, assailable, unprepared.

6. [Lacking in capacity or experience]

Syn. unsure, raw, green, fresh, untrained, young, backward, insecure, immature, unsteady, handicapped, soft, shaky, uncertain, incomplete, untried.

Ant. experienced*, expert, trained*.

Syn.- weak , the broadest in application of these words, basically implies a lack or inferiority of physical, mental, or moral strength [ a weak muscle, mind, character, foundation, excuse, etc. ] ; feeble suggests a pitiable weakness or ineffectiveness [ a feeble old man, a feeble joke ] ; frail suggests an inherent or constitutional delicacy or weakness, so as to be easily broken or shattered [ a frail body, conscience, etc. ] ; infirm suggests a loss of strength or soundness, as through illness or age [ his infirm old grandfather ] ; decrepit implies a being broken down, worn out, or decayed, as by old age or long use [ a decrepit old pensioner, a decrepit sofa ]

III

(Roget's 3 Superthesaurus) a.

1. feeble powerless, frail, enervated, impotent, limp, faint, flaccid, ineffectual, exhausted, anemic, worn out, spent, sickly, debilitated, unfit, out of shape, infirm, emasculated.

2. morally or mentally weak cowardly, fainthearted, faint of heart, spineless, mousy, wishy-washy, weak-kneed, irresolute, *wimpy, timid, timorous.

3. stupid dim-witted, unintelligent, retarded, moronic, imbecilic, dense, dull.

4. insecure unstable, easily broken, unfortified, vulnerable, delicate, fragile, rickety, flimsy, shaky, frail.

5. faint soft, dim, mild, gentle, pale, thin, feeble, low, muted, diluted, watered-down.

6. lacking deficient, poor, inadequate, wanting, unsatisfactory, shaky, inept.

ANT.: 1. strong, powerful, fit, robust, effectual, muscle-bound. 2. strong, headstrong, courageous, bold, *gutsy, 3. smart, intelligent, sharp. 4. stable, fortified, rock-solid, unassailable. 5. strong, intense, powerful, undiluted. 6. adequate, satisfactory

IV

(Roget's Thesaurus II) adjective 1. Not physically strong: decrepit, delicate, feeble, flimsy, fragile, frail, infirm, insubstantial, puny, unsound, unsubstantial, weakly. See STRONG. 2. So lacking in strength as to be barely audible: faint, feeble. See STRONG. 3. Lacking stability: infirm, insecure, precarious, shaky, tottering, tottery, unstable, unsteady, unsure, wobbly. See CHANGE, STRONG. 4. Not capable of accomplishing anything: helpless, impotent, inadequate, incapable, ineffectual, powerless. See ABILITY, STRONG. 5. Lower than normal in strength or concentration due to admixture: dilute, thin, washy, watered-down, waterish, watery. See STRONG. 6. Not plausible or believable: flimsy, implausible, improbable, inconceivable, incredible, shaky, thin, unbelievable, unconceivable, unconvincing, unsubstantial. See LIKELY.