adjective
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patient, long-suffering, or submissive in disposition or nature; humble
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spineless or spiritless; compliant
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an obsolete word for gentle
Usage
What does meek mean? When used in a positive way, meek describes someone who shows patient restraint. When used negatively, it means overly submissive.The positive sense of meek implies that someone is able to remain calm and subdued even when being provoked. Its negative use is perhaps more common, and is intended to indicate that someone is being too passive. The word meek is often associated with Christian virtues due to its use in a well-known Bible passage.Example: I know you’re naturally reserved, but you can’t be so meek during job interviews.
Related Words
See gentle.
Other Word Forms
- meekly adverb
- meekness noun
- overmeek adjective
Etymology
Origin of meek
First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English meke, meoc, from Old Norse mjūkr “soft, mild, meek”
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.
Initially seen as meek and even-tempered, the layers have been pulled back to show something different.
From Los Angeles Times
Nancy - just eight days into his reign as manager - had suffered a second defeat in his second game in charge, a meek 3-0 Europa League capitulation at the hands of Roma.
From BBC
In the aftermath, England was slammed as "brainless" and even "arrogant" by former greats for their meek performance after putting themselves in a strong position to win.
From Barron's
A stunned England woke Sunday to savage criticism after their meek capitulation in the first Ashes Test, branded "brainless" and "damaged" by former greats after their cavalier approach backfired.
From Barron's
Like the running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain, the momentum of markets can run over the weak and meek disbelievers as we climb that wall of worry.
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.
