Definitions

weak

[week] / wik /

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not strong adj.
cowardly adj.
faint, soft adj.
deficient, feeble adj.
exposed, vulnerable adj.
watered-down adj.

ADJECTIVE

not strong

Synonyms

STRONGEST

anemic feeble fragile frail hesitant powerless shaky sickly sluggish uncertain unsteady weakened wobbly

WEAK

debilitated decrepit delicate effete enervated epicene exhausted faint flaccid flimsy forceless impuissant infirm insubstantial irresolute lackadaisical languid languorous limp makeshift out of gas prostrate puny rickety rocky rotten senile spent spindly supine torpid undependable unsound unsubstantial wasted wavering weakly

Antonyms

STRONGEST

healthy hearty powerful stable strong unbreakable

WEAK

capable fit potent

ADJECTIVE

cowardly

Synonyms

STRONGEST

hesitant indecisive ineffectual insecure nervous powerless shaky soft uncertain unstable wobbly

WEAK

faint-hearted fluctuant frightened impotent infirm irresolute nerveless spineless timorous undependable unreliable unsure vacillating wavering weak-kneed wimpy wishy-washy zero

Antonyms

WEAK

bold brave confident

ADJECTIVE

faint, soft

Synonyms

STRONGEST

dull feeble low poor quiet small thin

WEAK

bated dim distant gentle imperceptible inaudible indistinct muffled pale reedy slight stifled unaccented unstressed whispered

Antonyms

WEAK

loud noisy

ADJECTIVE

deficient, feeble

Synonyms

STRONGEST

immature inadequate incomplete ineffective ineffectual inept lacking limited poor shaky slim small thin

WEAK

faulty flabby flimsy forceless green hollow implausible impotent improbable incompetent inconceivable inconclusive incredible invalid pathetic raw shallow slight spineless substandard thick unbelievable unconvincing unprepared unqualified unsatisfactory unsubstantial unsure untrained wanting

Antonyms

STRONGEST

able adequate competent enough strong sufficient

WEAK

capable fit potent

ADJECTIVE

exposed, vulnerable

Synonyms

WEAK

accessible assailable defenseless helpless indefensible unguarded unprotected unsafe untenable wide-open woundable

Antonyms

WEAK

able fit guarded potent protected safe secure

ADJECTIVE

watered-down

Synonyms

STRONGEST

thin

WEAK

dilute diluted insipid milk-and-water runny tasteless washy waterish watery wishy-washy

Antonyms

WEAK

concentrated potent strong thick

Frequently Asked Questions

What is another word for weak?

Weak means not strong. A synonym for weak in the context of physical strength is feeble. A person might also be considered weak as in cowardly or easily defeated. Something that can easily break can be described as fragile or delicate. When a sick or very tired person says they feel weak, it means they have no energy. A person who’s very ill and generally weak in this way might be described as frail. When weak means lacking in force, effectiveness, or support, synonyms are ineffectual and poor, as in That’s a weak/poor excuse. In the context of sounds, weak is used to mean faint, soft, and quiet. A weak sound might be one that’s indistinct, thin, or muffled. A very informal slang term that can mean the same thing as weak is weak sauce. To become weak is to weaken. A specific way of being weak is a weakness. Other terms for this are weak point, vulnerability, and soft spot. These terms often suggest a flaw that can allow someone or something to be defeated, attacked, exploited. An expression that means this is Achilles heel.

What is the opposite (antonym) of weak?

The direct and commonly used opposite of weak is strong. Strong can be used as the opposite of weak in most contexts, such as a person’s physical strength, the effectiveness of an argument, the flavor of a drink, etc. Other antonyms for weak include hearty and healthy (when weak means ill or frail), bold and brave (when weak means cowardly), and loud (when weak means faint or quiet).

How do you spell weak?

Weak as in lacking strength is spelled with ea. Week as in the period of seven days is spelled with ee. You can remember this because seven also has two e’s.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

weak weaker weakest

Some 75% of trans-Atlantic cables run through Irish waters, but the historically neutral country presents a possible weak link in the West’s defenses.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026

The choice we face today is not between a strong court and a weak one.

From Slate ● Sep. 16, 2026

A weak yen tends to make imported goods more expensive, thus fuelling inflation.

From Barron's ● Sep. 16, 2026

Others fear being seen as weak or lazy.

From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026

The Goldman saleswoman made a weak effort to claim that, even as the index of subprime mortgage bonds collapsed, the market for insuring them hadn’t budged.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

Eyes are now on decisions by the central banks of Britain and Japan, with the latter also expected to hike as it looks to fend off a rise in inflation and a weaker yen.

From Barron's ● Sep. 17, 2026

The sentiment increase was weaker than the rise to 40.0 expected by economists polled by The Wall Street Journal.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026

The team also observed weaker interactions between genes and nearby regulatory elements that normally help control whether those genes are switched on or off.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 13, 2026

“Higher oil prices and weaker global equities supported the USD,” CBA’s Kristina Clifton says in a research report.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026

In the latter case, their status is weaker and more dangerous, since they depend entirely upon the will of those citizens who are appointed as magistrates.

From "The Prince" by Niccolò Machiavelli

At On Holding, there are no plans to slash price tags even after its weakest retail sales since going public in 2021 forced the company to soften its sales outlook.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026

In fact, it would be no surprise if the Azerbaijani champions were by some distance the weakest of the eight league stage opponents Michael Carrick's side will come up against.

From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026

The moves turned the Rams’ weakest link into one of their strongest.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026

“September’s weakest returns have occurred when the S&P 500 begins the month below its 200-day average, which is not currently the case,” according to a research note from Oppenheimer & Co. over the weekend.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 31, 2026

The commandant hadn’t chosen the strongest, he’d taken the weakest.

From "Prisoner B-3087" by Alan Gratz

weak

Frequently Asked Questions

Example Sentences

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