Link Centre Dictionary

feeble

UK/ˈfiːbəl/ US/ˈfibʌl/ fairly common

adjective

1.

pathetically lacking in force or effectiveness

  • “a feeble excuse”
  • “a lame argument”
Synonyms
Similar
2.

lacking strength or vigor

  • “damning with faint praise”
  • “faint resistance”
  • “feeble efforts”
  • “a feeble voice”
Synonyms
Similar
3.

lacking physical strength or vitality

  • “a feeble old woman”
  • “her body looked sapless”
Synonyms
Similar
4.

lacking strength

  • “a weak, nerveless fool, devoid of energy and promptitude” Nathaniel Hawthorne
Synonyms
Similar

Origin

From Middle English feble, from Anglo-Norman feble (“weak, feeble”) (compare French faible), from Latin flēbilis (“tearful, mournful, lamentable”) by dissimilation, from fleō (“to weep, cry”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰleh₁-.

Related words

Word family

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.