weak-kneed

[week-need]

adjective

1. yielding readily to opposition, pressure, intimidation, etc.

weak-kneed

adjective

1. informal,  yielding readily to force, persuasion, intimidation, etc

Other Word Forms

• weak-kneedly adverb
• weak-kneedness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of weak-kneed¹

First recorded in 1860–65

Example Sentences

Wish You Were Dead is about a relationship that veers between being affectionate and volatile; while in Big Brown Eyes, Young gets weak-kneed when a lukewarm love interest insults her.

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It seemed, at the time, a politically wise move for someone considering a future run for president and wanting to avoid the weak-kneed image that had plagued Democrats since the Vietnam War era.

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In the appearance vs. reality debate, the Democrats are finally understanding they need to destroy the appearance that Trump is a strong man and expose him for the weak-kneed charlatan that he is.

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Ohtani has the most weak-kneed and worthless advisors in the history of advisors.

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With the meeting Thursday, Mr. Macron hoped to find some unity on bolstering support for Ukraine or, short of that, to expose opponents who in his view remain too weak-kneed or servile to Moscow.

Read more on New York Times

Related Words

• afraid 
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• hesitant 
• jittery 
• nervous 
• panicky www.thesaurus.com
• scared 
• shy 
• skittish 
• tense 
• timid 
• uneasy