weakling

American  

[week-ling] / ˈwik lɪŋ /

noun

1. a person who is physically or morally weak.

   Synonyms:

   namby-pamby, chicken, milksop

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adjective

1. weak; not strong.

weakling British  

/ ˈwiːklɪŋ /

noun

1. a person or animal that is lacking in strength or weak in constitution or character

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Etymology

Origin of weakling

First recorded in 1520–30; weak + -ling ¹

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!"

Example Sentences

He was inspired by the underground music scene he found there, from the skewed indie-rock of Deerhoof to the progressive metal of Weakling.

From Chicago Tribune • Sep. 26, 2012

The Weakling is a sterner story, and plainly a parable of humanity caught between competing ideologies.

From Time Magazine Archive

Weakling children who eat "Tasty Bread" will not merely grow strong, they will begin juggling locomotives.

From Time Magazine Archive

Though The Enemy was first printed in 1935 and The Weakling only last year, there is good reason for putting them side by side: both have as their theme the vulnerability of innocence.

From Time Magazine Archive

And he was very sure that the testimony of the clergy of all denominations was more to be relied upon than the opinion of a man like Dr Weakling.

From The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists by Tressell, Robert

Related Words

• wimp