Link Centre Dictionary

weakly

UK/ˈwiːkli/ US/ˈwikli/ uncommon
adverb (1) adjective (1)

adverb

1.

in a weak or feeble manner or to a minor degree

  • “weakly agreed to a compromise”
  • “wheezed weakly”
  • “he was weakly attracted to her”
Antonyms

adjective

1.

lacking physical strength or vitality

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

Origin

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”).

Related words

Word family

Pertaining to

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.