The Wordsmith Dictionary

weak	feeble	frail
link	attempt	body
signal	excuse	patient
support	effort	voice
dollar	response	frame
economy	protest	creature
market	apology	child
tea	explanation	grandparents

Word Toolkits illustrate the difference between close synonyms by means of words typically used with them.

weaken

weaken verb 1 the virus weakened him terribly: enfeeble, debilitate, incapacitate, sap, enervate, tire, exhaust, wear out; wither, cripple, disable, emasculate. 2 she tried to weaken the blow for him: reduce, decrease, diminish, soften, lessen, moderate, temper, dilute, blunt, mitigate. 3 our morale weakened: decrease, dwindle, diminish, wane, ebb, subside, peter out, fizzle out, tail off, decline, falter. 4 the move weakened her authority: impair, undermine, erode, eat away at, compromise; invalidate, negate, discredit.

weakling

weakling noun a ninety-pound weakling: pushover, namby-pamby, coward, milksop; informal wimp, weed, sissy, twinkie, drip, softie, doormat, chicken, yellow-belly, scaredy-cat, wuss.

weakness

weakness noun 1 with old age came weakness: frailty, feebleness, enfeeblement, fragility, delicacy; infirmity, sickness, sickliness, debility, incapacity, impotence, indisposition, decrepitude, vulnerability. 2 he has worked on his weaknesses: fault, flaw, defect, deficiency, weak point, failing, shortcoming, weak link, imperfection, Achilles heel, foible. 3 a weakness for champagne: fondness, liking, partiality, preference, love, penchant, soft spot, predilection, inclination, taste, eye; enthusiasm, appetite; susceptibility. 4 the president was accused of weakness: timidity, cowardliness, pusillanimity; indecision, irresolution, ineffectuality, ineptitude, impotence, meekness, powerlessness, ineffectiveness. 5 the weakness of this argument: untenability, implausibility, poverty, inadequacy, transparency; flimsiness, hollowness. 6 the weakness of the sound: indistinctness, mutedness, faintness, feebleness, lowness; dimness, paleness.

weak-willed

weak-willed adjective you're too weak-willed to ask for a raise: spineless, weak, irresolute, indecisive, weak-minded; impressionable, persuadable, submissive, unassertive, compliant, pusillanimous; informal wimpish, chicken.

Oxford Thesaurus

weak

weak adjective 1 they are too weak to move: frail, feeble, puny, fragile, delicate, weakly; infirm, sick, sickly, shaky, debilitated, incapacitated, ailing, indisposed, decrepit, enervated, tired, fatigued, exhausted, spent, worn out; informal weedy. ANTONYMS strong. 2 bats have very weak eyes: inadequate, poor, feeble; defective, faulty, flawed, deficient, imperfect, substandard, lacking, wanting. ANTONYMS strong, powerful, keen. 3 she made some weak excuse to break the appointment: unconvincing, untenable, tenuous, implausible, unsatisfactory, slight, poor, inadequate, thin, transparent; unsound, feeble, flimsy, lame, hollow; informal pathetic. ANTONYMS convincing. 4 I was too weak to be a rebel: irresolute, spineless, craven, cowardly, pusillanimous, timorous, timid, indecisive, ineffectual, useless, inept, effete, meek, tame, powerless, ineffective, impotent, namby-pamby, soft, lily-livered, faint-hearted; informal yellow, weak-kneed, gutless, yellow-bellied, chicken-hearted, chicken. ANTONYMS strong, resolute. 5 he had only a weak light to work by: dim, pale, wan, faint, dull, feeble, muted. ANTONYMS strong, bright. 6 ‘you did this to her, ’ he said in a weak voice | a weak signal: indistinct, muffled, stifled, muted, hushed, faint, low, scarcely audible. ANTONYMS strong, loud. 7 they drank weak coffee: watery, diluted, dilute, watered down, thinned down, thin, adulterated, tasteless, flavourless, bland, insipid, mild, under-strength; informal wishy-washy. ANTONYMS strong, powerful. 8 a weak smile: unenthusiastic, feeble, half-hearted, limp, lame. PHRASES weak at the knees she has accepted a challenge that would make the bravest man go weak at the knees: faint, dizzy, light-headed, giddy, shaky; weak-kneed, wobbly, quivery, unsteady, groggy, muzzy; informal trembly, all of a tremble, all of a quiver, with rubbery legs, woozy; rare vertiginous. WORD TOOLKIT

weak	feeble	frail
link	attempt	body
signal	excuse	patient
support	effort	voice
pound	response	frame
economy	protest	creature
market	apology	child
tea	explanation	grandparents

Word Toolkits illustrate the difference between close synonyms by means of words typically used with them.

weaken

weaken verb 1 the virus has weakened him terribly: enfeeble, debilitate, incapacitate, sap one's strength, enervate, tire, exhaust, wear out; wither, erode, diminish, destroy. ANTONYMS strengthen. 2 she tried to weaken the impact of what she'd just said: reduce, decrease, diminish, lessen, moderate, temper, sap, dilute, water down, thin, blunt, mitigate, deplete, soften (up ). ANTONYMS increase, boost. 3 our morale weakened: abate, lessen, decrease, dwindle, diminish, ease up, let up, trail off, wane, ebb, subside, peter out, melt away, fizzle out, taper off, tail off, grow dim, grow faint; decline, deteriorate, degenerate, shrivel, wilt, tire, languish, falter. ANTONYMS strengthen, intensify. 4 the move weakened her authority: impair, undermine, compromise; invalidate, refute, rebut, negate, discredit. ANTONYMS strengthen, bolster. 5 when she wept and begged him not to turn her out he weakened: relent, give in, acquiesce, yield, give way, accede, succumb, come round; consent, assent, agree; soften, bend, ease up, ease off. ANTONYMS stand firm.

weakling

weakling noun a nine-stone weakling: milksop, namby-pamby, weak person, coward, pushover, mouse; informal wimp, weed, sissy, drip, wet, ninny, mummy's boy, pansy, softie, doormat, runt, chicken, yellow-belly, fraidy-cat, scaredy-cat; N. Amer. informal wuss, pussy; archaic poltroon. ANTONYMS strongman, hero.

weak-minded

weak-minded adjective he is just a weak-minded fool: irresolute, weak-willed, weak, impressionable, spineless, indecisive, unassertive, persuadable, persuasible, submissive, compliant, pusillanimous; foolish, simple, feeble-minded, witless, mindless, brainless, stupid, idiotic. ANTONYMS strong-willed; intelligent.

weakness

weakness noun 1 his illness resulted in weakness for the rest of his life: frailty, feebleness, enfeeblement, puniness, fragility, delicateness, delicacy, weakliness; infirmity, sickness, sickliness, shakiness, debility, incapacity, indisposition, decrepitude, enervation, fatigue, exhaustion, tiredness; informal weediness. ANTONYMS strength, vigour. 2 he has worked on his weaknesses and his form has improved: fault, flaw, defect, deficiency, weak point /spot, failing, foible, shortcoming, imperfection, blemish, Achilles heel, chink in one's armour. ANTONYMS strength, forte. 3 he had a weakness for champagne: fondness, liking, love, passion, partiality, preference, penchant, soft spot, bent, predisposition, predilection, leaning, inclination, proneness, proclivity, disposition, taste, eye; relish, zeal, enthusiasm, appetite. ANTONYMS dislike. 4 the President's public changes of mind led to accusations of indecision and weakness: spinelessness, timidity, cravenness, cowardliness, pusillanimity, timorousness, indecisiveness, indecision, irresolution, ineffectuality, uselessness, ineptness, ineptitude, effeteness, meekness, tameness, powerlessness, ineffectiveness, impotence, faint-heartedness; informal chicken-heartedness. ANTONYMS strength, resolve. 5 the symptoms include weakness of the eyes: inadequacy, defectiveness, faultiness, deficiency, imperfection. ANTONYMS strength, power. 6 the weakness of this argument was soon shown up: unconvincingness, untenability, tenuousness, implausibility, unsatisfactoriness, slightness, poverty, inadequacy, thinness, transparency; unsoundness, flimsiness, lameness, hollowness. ANTONYMS strength. 7 the weakness of the sound | the weakness of the street lamps: indistinctness, muffledness, mutedness, faintness, lowness, low intensity; dimness, paleness, wanness, dullness, feebleness. ANTONYMS strength. WORD LINKS weakness asthenophobia fear of weakness Word Links sections supply words that are related to the headword but do not normally appear in a thesaurus because they are not actual synonyms.

weak-willed

weak-willed adjective I was too weak-willed to give up: irresolute, spineless, weak, weak-minded, impressionable, indecisive, doubtful, unassertive, persuadable, persuasible, submissive, compliant, pusillanimous, weak-kneed; informal wimpish, chicken. ANTONYMS strong-willed, resolute.

Sanseido Wisdom Dictionary

weak

weak /wiːk / (! weekと同音 ) 〖語源は「譲歩する, 曲がる」〗(動 )weaken, (名 )weakness 形容詞 1 〈人などが〉 (体力的に )弱い ; «…で » 弱っている «with, from » ; 〈器官などが〉衰えた ; 【感情のために】(体の )力が抜けた «with, from » ▸ A poor diet made Shaun too weak to walk .貧しい食生活のためにショーンは衰弱して歩けなくなった ▸ Joe is weak with hunger .ジョーは空腹で弱っている ▸ have a weak heart [weak eyes ]心臓 [視力 ]が弱い ▸ a weak chin [jaw ]貧弱なあご (!しばしば性格の弱さと見なされる ) ▸ The mere thought of it left me weak with fear .私はそのことを考えただけで怖くてへたりこんでしまった 2 (精神的に )弱い , もろい ; (人に )左右されやすい ▸ have a weak character 性格が弱い ▸ weak -willed 意志の弱い ▸ in a weak moment (ふと )気が緩んだ時に, 弱気になっている時に 3 〈物が〉壊れやすい , もろい ▸ a weak floor 強度の低い床 4 【教科技能などが】苦手な , 不得意な «in , at, on » ; (能力などが )劣った ▸ be weak in mathematics 数学が不得手である ▸ weak in the head ｟くだけて｠頭が鈍い ; 愚かな ▸ a weak speaker 話し下手な人 5 〈指導者国家法律などが〉支配 [影響 ]力に欠ける, 弱体化した ; (対策などが )甘い, 不十分な ; 〈立場などが〉弱い ; 〖the ～; 名詞的に; 集合的に〗弱者 (たち ) (!複数扱い ) ▸ a weak leader 弱体化した指導者 ▸ Japan is weak toward terrorism .日本はテロ対策が甘い 6 〈チーム軍隊などが〉 (規模能力的に )弱い , 劣勢の ▸ a weak team 弱小チーム 7 〈議論証拠などが〉説得力の弱い, 論理的に乏しい ; 〈文体表現などが〉迫力のない, (単純で )おもしろ味に欠ける ▸ weak arguments 説得力に欠ける議論 ▸ a weak plot [joke ]つまらない筋書き [冗談 ]8 〈通貨経済などが〉弱い ; 〈株市場などが〉弱含みの ▸ The dollar is weak against the euro .ドルはユーロに対して弱い 9 〈飲み物液体などが〉薄い ; 〈酒が〉度数の低い ; 〈小麦粉が〉薄力の ▸ weak coffee 薄いコーヒー ▸ a weak ammonia solution アンモニア希釈液 ▸ weak beer 弱いビール 10 〈光音強さなどが〉弱い, かすかな ; 〈行為などが〉弱々しい, 力のない ▸ weak light 弱い光 ▸ manage a weak smile 弱々しくも無理にほほえむ 11 a. 〘文法〙弱変化の, 規則変化の ▸ weak verbs 弱変化動詞 b. 〘音声〙強勢 [アクセント ]のない, 弱形の ▸ weak forms 弱形 12 〘写〙コントラストが弱い .～́ p ò int ＝weak spot .～́ s ì de 〘アメフト〙ウィークサイド〘選手の数が少ないサイド〙.～̀ s í ster (!｟米話｠) 1 (集団内の )頼りにならない人 ; 臆（おく）病者 (!通例男性について用いる ) .2 (全体の中で )他よりも弱い箇所 .～́ sp ò t (物性格などの )弱点, 弱い [もろい ]部分 .

weaken

weak en /wíːk (ə )n /→weak 動詞～s /-z /; ～ed /-d /; ～ing 他動詞 1 〈勢力重要性など〉を弱める .2 …の体力を奪う ; 〈器官など〉を弱める ; 〖be ～ed 〗体力が落ちる, 衰弱する ▸ weakened immune systems 弱化した免疫系 3 〈意志など〉をぐらつかせる .4 〈構造物〉を壊れやすくする, もろくする ; 〈生地など〉を傷（いた）める .5 〈通貨株価など〉を弱くする .6 〈飲み物〉を薄める .自動詞弱まる ; 衰弱する ; 〈意志などが〉ぐらつく ; もろくなる .

weaker sex

w è aker s é x 名詞｟やや古｠〖the ～; 集合的に〗女性 (!現在では侮辱的表現とされる ) .

weak-kneed

w è ak-kn é ed 形容詞｟くだけて｠〈人が〉意気地なしの, 優柔不断な ; びくびくした, おどおどした, 弱腰の .

weakling

weak ling /wíːklɪŋ /名詞 C ｟非難して｠1 軟弱な人 [動物 ], 弱々しい人 [動物 ]; 虚弱体質の人 .2 弱虫, 意気地なし (wimp ).

weakly

w é ak ly 形容詞病弱な ; 弱々しい .副詞弱く, 弱々しく, 力なく ; 意気地なく .

weakness

weak ness /wíːknəs /→weak 名詞複～es /-ɪz /1 U (体の )弱さ , 虚弱 , 【身体部位の】弱いこと «in » .2 U (行動に現れる )意志の弱さ ; 気弱さ ; 低能 , 愚鈍 .3 C (攻撃非難の対象となる )欠点 ; (性格上の )弱点 (!自制がきかないことから来る小さなものをいう; →fault ) ▸ human weaknesses 人間の弱さ 4 U 〖具体例では可算〗(根拠などの )不十分 , 【論点裁判の】根拠のなさ «in » ; 苦手 (な点 ).5 U (制度組織設計の )弱さ ; 権力 [勢力 , 影響力 ]のなさ ; (政府指導者の )指導力のなさ .6 C 〖通例the /one's ～〗(通貨経済工業政府の )うまくいっていない状態 , 不況 ▸ the weakness of the yen 円安 7 C 大好物 ; 〖通例単数形で〗 «…に » 目がないこと «for » ▸ have a weakness for chocolate チョコレートに目がない