feeble

[ fee-buhl ]

/ ˈfi bəl /

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See synonyms for: feeble / feeblest / feebleness / feebly on Thesaurus.com

adjective, fee·bler, fee·blest.

physically weak, as from age or sickness; frail.

weak intellectually or morally: a feeble mind.

lacking in volume, loudness, brightness, distinctness, etc.: a feeble voice; feeble light.

lacking in force, strength, or effectiveness: feeble resistance; feeble arguments.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of feeble

First recorded in 1125–75; Middle English feble, from Old French, variant of fleible (by dissimilation), from Latin flēbilis “lamentable,” equivalent to flēre “to weep” + -bilis-ble

synonym study for feeble

1. See weak.

OTHER WORDS FROM feeble

fee·ble·ness, nounfeeblish, adjectivefeebly, adverbnon·fee·ble, adjective

non·fee·ble·ness, nounnon·fee·b·ly, adverbun·fee·ble, adjectiveun·fee·ble·ness, nounun·fee·b·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use feeble in a sentence

The Wizards yielded yet another 40-point first quarter, with Jokic acting as a human wrecking ball this time, scoring 15 points and dishing three assists while Brooks deployed all three of his centers in a feeble attempt to stop him.
Davis Bertans looks like his old self, and Bradley Beal averts disaster against the Nuggets|Ava Wallace|February 18, 2021|Washington Post
I felt like jumping in the air like Andy when I spotted that lone, feeble chanterelle in Hell’s Hollow.
Mushroom Hunting at the End of the World|Danny Palumbo|November 12, 2020|Eater
While Kerry and friends continue to feebly push for two states, Israel continues to build settlements at super-sonic speeds.
The Erekat Came Back|Maysoon Zayid|November 15, 2013|DAILY BEAST
At length only four or five flames remained, feebly wavering in their pools of melted wax.
The Boarded-Up House|Augusta Huiell Seaman

She tottered up the steps, clutching feebly at the post before passing into the house.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin
The gas-lamps, too, seemed in a fog and struggled feebly against the blackness of the evening.
The Girls of Central High on the Stage|Gertrude W. Morrison
The Chamberlain, thus fiercely attacked, was very feebly defended.
The History of England from the Accession of James II.|Thomas Babington Macaulay
Grey stone lime is feebly hydraulic, and makes a good mortar for ordinary work.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 3|Various

British Dictionary definitions for feeble

feeble

/ (ˈfiːbəl) /

adjective

lacking in physical or mental strength; frail; weak

inadequate; unconvincingfeeble excuses

easily influenced or indecisive

Derived forms of feeble

feebleness, nounfeebly, adverb

Word Origin for feeble

C12: from Old French feble, fleible, from Latin flēbilis to be lamented, from flēre to weep

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

feeble

Origin of feeble

synonym study for feeble

OTHER WORDS FROM feeble

Words related to feeble

How to use feeble in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for feeble

Derived forms of feeble

Word Origin for feeble