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weak */*/*/
UK [wiːk] / US [wɪk] adjective
Word forms "weak":
adjective weak comparative weaker superlative weakest
1)
a) a person who is weak does not have much physical strength or energy

The illness had left him too weak to speak.

b) part of your body that is weak is not as strong or healthy as it should be

Weak stomach muscles can lead to back problems.

He has always had a weak heart.

2)
a) lacking power or influence

Workplace bullies pick on weak and vulnerable colleagues.

We are in a weak bargaining position.

b) a weak leader or government does not have enough political power or ability to rule successfully
3) a weak person is one who does not have much determination and can be easily persuaded to do something that they do not want to do

I was feeling weak and agreed to go.

He had a weak character, but not an evil one.

4)
a) bad in quality

They can always improve by working on their weak points.

weak on:

The report was criticized for being weak on detail.

b) a weak player, performer etc is one who is not good at playing, performing etc

If you are a weak speller, someone should check the letter.

5)
a) a weak building, bridge, or other structure is one that is likely to break under a lot of pressure

The floorboards are weak in some places.

a weak gravitational field

b) a weak part of a person's face is one that is small and suggests a poor character

weak features

a weak chin

6) a weak argument or idea is one that you can easily criticize or prove to be wrong

The case is weak because it is based on very little real evidence.

The Scottish Secretary gave a very weak answer.

on weak ground:

They were on weak ground, with no precedents for their action.

weak point/spot:

They exploited the weak points in their opponents' defences.

a) a weak feeling or attitude is one that you are not certain about, and might easily lose

His faith in his family had become weak over the years.

b) economics a weak economy or currency is one that does not have as much value as a strong one
weak against:

The pound grew weaker against the dollar.

7) a weak liquid contains a lot of water and not much of a substance that gives it taste or strength

She makes the tea too weak.

a weak solution of hydrochloric acid

8)
a) a weak light, heat, or sound is one that you cannot easily see, hear, or feel

He had only a weak light to work by.

b) a weak action or movement is one that you do not easily notice

She gave me a weak smile and a little wave.

9)
a) linguistics a weak word, or a weak part of a word, is not emphasized when you say the word
b) a weak verb forms the past tenses in a regular way. Weak verbs in English do this by adding "-ed", "-d", or "-t" to the infinitive.
See:
link II

English dictionary. 2014.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Weak — (w[=e]k), a. [Compar. {Weaker} (w[=e]k [ e]r); superl. {Weakest}.] [OE. weik, Icel. veikr; akin to Sw. vek, Dan. veg soft, flexible, pliant, AS. w[=a]c weak, soft, pliant, D. week, G. weich, OHG. weih; all from the verb seen in Icel. v[=i]kja to… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • weak — W2S3 [wi:k] adj ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ 1¦(physical)¦ 2¦(likely to break)¦ 3¦(character)¦ 4¦(without power)¦ 5¦(without interest)¦ 6¦(without energy)¦ 7¦(not good at doing something)¦ 8¦(money)¦ 9¦(argument/idea)¦ 10¦(drink)¦ …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • weak — [ wik ] adjective *** ▸ 1 lacking energy ▸ 2 lacking power ▸ 3 easily persuaded ▸ 4 bad in quality ▸ 5 likely to break/fail ▸ 6 with a lot of water ▸ 7 lacking strength ▸ 8 in linguistics 1. ) part of your body that is weak is not as strong or… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • weak — [wiːk] adjective FINANCE 1. if markets, investments, currencies etc are weak, their prices are falling: • The company reported a loss of C$16 million, mostly because of weak metals prices. • The weak dollar has ma …   Financial and business terms

  • weak — [wēk] adj. [ME waik < ON veikr, akin to OE wac, feeble (which the ON word replaced) < IE * weig , * weik (< base * wei , to bend) > WEEK, WICKER, L vicis, change] 1. a) lacking in strength of body or muscle; not physically strong b)… …   English World dictionary

  • weak — weak·en; weak·en·er; weak; weak·ish; weak·li·ness; weak·ness; elec·tro·weak; weak·ling; weak·ly; weak·head·ed·ly; weak·head·ed·ness; weak·heart·ed·ly; weak·heart·ed·ness; weak·ish·ly; weak·ish·ness; weak·kneed·ly; weak·kneed·ness; …   English syllables

  • weak — weak, feeble, frail, fragile, infirm, decrepit can mean not strong enough to bear, resist, or endure strain or pressure or to withstand difficulty, effort, or use. Weak is by far the widest in its range of application, being not only… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • Weak — is a generic adjective pertaining to a general state of feebleness, a lack of strength, durability, or vigor. Contents 1 Music 2 Other 3 See also …   Wikipedia

  • weak — [adj1] not strong anemic, debilitated, decrepit, delicate, effete, enervated, exhausted, faint, feeble, flaccid, flimsy, forceless, fragile, frail, hesitant, impuissant, infirm, insubstantial, irresolute, lackadaisical*, languid, languorous, limp …   New thesaurus

  • weak — c.1300, from O.N. veikr weak, cognate with O.E. wac weak, pliant, soft, from P.Gmc. *waikwaz yield, *wikanan bend (Cf. O.S. wek, Swed. vek, M.Du. weec, Du. week weak, soft, tender, O.H.G. weih …   Etymology dictionary

  • weak´en|er — weak|en «WEE kuhn», transitive verb. to make weak or weaker: »You can weaken tea by adding water. –v.i. 1. to grow or become weak or weaker. 2. to take a less firm attitude; give way: »We are almost to the top of the mountain; let s not weaken… …   Useful english dictionary

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