weak

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   Not physically strong.

   He felt weak after being ill for a week.

2. 2
   adj

   Not good at something; lacking skill.

   She's strong in maths but weak in spelling.

3. 3
   adj

   Likely to break or fail under pressure.

   The weak link in the chain finally snapped.

4. 4
   adj

   Not having much power, authority, or influence.

   The country had a weak and unpopular government.

Common collocations

• weak excuse Adjective + noun

From Middle English weyk, wayk, weik, waik, from Old Norse veikr (“weak”), from Proto-Germanic *waikwaz (“weak, yielded, pliant, bendsome”), from Proto-Indo-European *weyk- (“to bend, wind”). Cognate with Old English wāc (“weak, bendsome”), Saterland Frisian wook (“soft, gentle, tender”), West Frisian weak (“soft”), Dutch week (“soft, weak”), German weich (“weak, soft”), Norwegian veik (“weak”), Swedish vek (“weak, pliant”), Icelandic veikur (“bendsome, weak”). Related to Old English wīcan (“to yield”). Doublet of week and wick.

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