weakly

B2 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈwiːkli/ See IPA manual

Homophones

weekly /ˈwiːk.li/

Freq #15629

Meanings

1

adv
In a weak way; with little strength or force.

He smiled weakly and closed his eyes.
2

adj
Lacking strength or good health; frail.

The weakly child often missed school.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

2 adj · lacking strength or good... feeble infirm weak

Word family

Forms weaklier

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

weakly electric
producing a small electrical discharge rather than a strong one

Adverb + adjective

Etymology

From Old English wāclīċe (“weakly”), equivalent to weak + -ly (adjectival suffix); compare Old English wāclīċ (“weak; ignoble; mean”), and Old Norse veikligr (“weakly; sick”); both ultimately from Proto-Germanic *waikalīkaz (“weakly; weak”).

wāclīċe Old English *waikalīkaz Proto-Germanic

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# weakly

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** adv, adj
**IPA (US):** /ˈwiːkli/
**Frequency rank:** 15629

## Meanings
1. In a weak way; with little strength or force.
2. Lacking strength or good health; frail.

## Examples
- He smiled weakly and closed his eyes.
- The weakly child often missed school.

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: wāclīċe
- Root: *waikalīkaz

## Etymology
From Old English wāclīċe (“weakly”), equivalent to weak + -ly (adjectival suffix); compare Old English wāclīċ (“weak; ignoble; mean”), and Old Norse veikligr (“weakly; sick”); both ultimately from Proto-Germanic *waikalīkaz (“weakly; weak”).

## AI Etymology
Weakly is from Old English wāclīċe (“weakly”), equivalent to weak + -ly (adjectival suffix); compare Old English wāclīċ (“weak; ignoble; mean”), and Old Norse veikligr (“weakly; sick”); both ultimately from Proto-Germanic *waikalīkaz (“weakly; weak”). Important historical forms include Old English wāclīċe, and Proto-Germanic *waikalīkaz. In present-day use, it can mean in a weak way; with little strength or force, or lacking strength or good health; frail.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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