feeble

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈfibəl/ UK /ˈfiːbəl/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

adj
lacking physical strength or effectiveness; weak

He gave only a feeble excuse for missing the meeting.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · lacking physical strength... weak frail infirm decrepit faint puny delicate ineffectual

Opposites

strong robust vigorous powerful sturdy

Word family

Forms feebleness

Derived forms feeblyfeebleness

Related forms enfeeble

Simplified etymology

Feeble came into Middle English from Old French fieble, earlier spelled fleible. The French word derives from Latin flebilis “lamentable,” based on flere “to weep.”

Etymology

From Old French 'feble, fieble' ('weak'), from Latin 'flēbilis' ('lamentable, that is to be wept over'), from 'flēre' ('to weep'); the 'l' was lost by dissimilation.

flēbilis Latin flēre Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# feeble

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˈfibəl/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈfiːbəl/

## Meanings
1. lacking physical strength or effectiveness; weak

## Examples
- He gave only a feeble excuse for missing the meeting.

## Synonyms
- weak
- frail
- infirm
- decrepit
- faint
- puny
- delicate
- ineffectual

## Antonyms
- strong
- robust
- vigorous
- powerful
- sturdy

## Derived Forms
- feebly
- feebleness

## Related Forms
- enfeeble

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: flēbilis
- Root: flēre

## Etymology
From Old French 'feble, fieble' ('weak'), from Latin 'flēbilis' ('lamentable, that is to be wept over'), from 'flēre' ('to weep'); the 'l' was lost by dissimilation.

## AI Etymology
Feeble comes from Old French 'feble, fieble' ('weak'), from Latin 'flēbilis' ('lamentable, that is to be wept over'), from 'flēre' ('to weep'); the 'l' was lost by dissimilation. The etymological trail includes Latin flēbilis and Latin flēre. As an adjective, feeble describes what is lacking physical strength or effectiveness; weak. The same family is visible in derived forms such as feebly and feebleness and related forms such as enfeeble.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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