weakling

[ week-ling ]
See synonyms for weakling on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a person who is physically or morally weak.

adjective
  1. weak; not strong.

Origin of weakling

1
First recorded in 1520–30; weak + -ling1

Other words for weakling

Words Nearby weakling

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use weakling in a sentence

  • She comes to the individual man, as she came to me and asks, Is she a cherished weakling or an equal mate, an unavoidable helper?

    The New Machiavelli | Herbert George Wells
  • Against such a foe the unconscious weakling on the rock there, calmly puffing his cigar, would have no chance whatever.

    The Shepherd of the Hills | Harold Bell Wright
  • Afterwards she had done everything possible to show the world she had chosen a man instead of a weakling.

    The Winning Clue | James Hay, Jr.
  • The man who pays beforehand shows himself a weakling, he is afraid of himself, he is afraid he cannot hold the money.

    Watch Yourself Go By | Al. G. Field

British Dictionary definitions for weakling

weakling

/ (ˈwiːklɪŋ) /


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

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