weak

A2 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /wi(ː)k/ See IPA manual

Homophones

week /wiːk/

Minimal pairs

Sounds like wick /ɪ/ vs /iː/

Freq #1693

Meanings

1

adj
Not physically strong.

He felt weak after being ill for a week.
2

adj
Not good at something; lacking skill.

She's strong in maths but weak in spelling.
3

adj
Likely to break or fail under pressure.

The weak link in the chain finally snapped.
4

adj
Not having much power, authority, or influence.

The country had a weak and unpopular government.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

anemic breakable broken-down damaged debilitated decrepit delicatedicklesseffete enervatedenfeebledexhausted

Opposites

able-bodiedathletic beefy brawny capable competent durable firm fitfortifiedhalehardened

Word family

Forms weakerweakest

Derived forms electroweakmiliweaknonweakoverweakpiss-weaksuperweakweak-bladderedweak-chinnedweak-eyedweak-handedweak-headedweak-hearted

Appears in

Phrases (3)

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Proverbs (4)

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Etymology

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.

weyk Middle English veikr Old Norse *waikwaz Proto-Germanic *weyk- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# weak

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A2
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /wi(ː)k/
**Frequency rank:** 1693

## Meanings
1. Not physically strong.
2. Not good at something; lacking skill.
3. Likely to break or fail under pressure.
4. Not having much power, authority, or influence.

## Examples
- He felt weak after being ill for a week.
- She's strong in maths but weak in spelling.
- The weak link in the chain finally snapped.
- The country had a weak and unpopular government.

## Synonyms
- anemic
- breakable
- broken-down
- damaged
- debilitated
- decrepit
- delicate
- dickless
- effete
- enervated
- enfeebled
- exhausted

## Antonyms
- able-bodied
- athletic
- beefy
- brawny
- capable
- competent
- durable
- firm
- fit
- fortified
- hale
- hardened

## Derived Forms
- electroweak
- miliweak
- nonweak
- overweak
- piss-weak
- superweak
- weak-bladdered
- weak-chinned
- weak-eyed
- weak-handed
- weak-headed
- weak-hearted

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: weyk
- Root: veikr
- Root: *waikwaz
- Root: *weyk-

## Etymology
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.

## AI Etymology
Weak is 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. In present-day use, it can mean not physically strong, or not good at something; lacking skill.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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