weak applies to deficiency or inferiority in strength or power of any sort.
felt weak after the surgery
feeble suggests extreme weakness inviting pity or contempt.
a feeble attempt to walk
frail implies delicacy and slightness of constitution or structure.
a frail teenager unable to enjoy sports
fragile suggests frailty and brittleness unable to resist rough usage.
a reclusive poet too fragile for the rigors of this world
infirm suggests instability, unsoundness, and insecurity due to old age or crippling illness.
infirm residents requiring constant care
decrepit implies being worn-out or broken-down from long use or old age.
the dowager's decrepit retainers
Example Sentences
She's still feeble from her long illness. We heard a feeble cry for help. Business is suffering because of the feeble economy. He made a feeble attempt to explain his behavior. He offered a feeble excuse for his behavior. “Dislike” is too feeble a word for how she feels about him. See More
Recent Examples on the WebThe only shame comes from an inability to take responsibility for your actions, or worse, project your mistakes onto others in a feeble attempt to avoid conflict. Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 Sep. 2022 When pressed on the subject at Big Ten media days, Jim Harbaugh didn’t seem keen on discussing the Wolverines’ feeble nonconference schedule. Rainer Sabin, Detroit Free Press, 29 Aug. 2022 The People’s Bank of China last week unexpectedly trimmed two of its policy rates in response to slowing growth and feeble demand for credit. Jason Douglas, WSJ, 22 Aug. 2022 Taking a feeble slap at the ball, Norton mimics the way Newman had attempted to force a turnover. Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2022 All year long, the Sox have argued that their feeble performances against divisional competition didn’t matter. Jason Mastrodonato, Hartford Courant, 15 Aug. 2022 Today, at rallies of Hindu nationalist hard-liners, Gandhi is routinely vilified as feeble in his tactics against the British and overly conciliatory to India’s Muslims, who broke off and formed their own state, Pakistan, on Aug. 14, 1947. Gerry Shih, Washington Post, 12 Aug. 2022 Today, at rallies of Hindu nationalist hard-liners, Gandhi is routinely vilified as feeble in his tactics against the British and overly conciliatory to India’s Muslims, who broke off and formed their own state, Pakistan, on Aug. 14, 1947. Gerry Shih, BostonGlobe.com, 12 Aug. 2022 Lisa shouts, a feeble, last attempt to protect their secret. Haeryun Kang, Rolling Stone, 23 May 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
Middle English feble, from Anglo-French, from Latin flebilis lamentable, wretched, from flēre to weep — more at bleat