weakling
Americannoun
adjective
noun
Etymology
Origin of weakling
Explanation
Someone who is either frail or cowardly can be called a weakling. When you're new to rock climbing, you may feel like a total weakling as you attempt to haul yourself up a steep, rocky incline. Weaklings are people or animals who are weak, either in a physical or mental way. In a litter of piglets, the tiny runt is a weakling, struggling to get enough food to survive alongside its stronger litter mates. Weakling can also be a derogatory way to refer to a person who lacks physical strength or is easily intimidated: "Don't be a weakling — defend yourself against that mean gossip!"
Vocabulary lists containing weakling
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.
Frankly, the dorky version of Adam is more fun than the heroic He-Man, even with Knight hammering us every minute to laugh that he’s a total weakling.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2026
Former Big Ten weakling Indiana defied all conventional wisdom to become the nation’s only undefeated team and claim its first-ever No. 1 ranking.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 24, 2025
Don’t get me wrong: J. Edgar Hoover, the FBI’s legendary founding director, would view Patel as a contemptible weakling.
From Salon • Oct. 19, 2025
The U.S. economy is not a 90-pound weakling when it comes to manufacturing muscle.
From Seattle Times • Nov. 26, 2023
He watched Caswell’s weakling son named a page, a squire, and finally a knight.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
