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

Former Big Ten weakling Indiana defied all conventional wisdom to become the nation’s only undefeated team and claim its first-ever No. 1 ranking.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 24, 2025

Don’t get me wrong: J. Edgar Hoover, the FBI’s legendary founding director, would view Patel as a contemptible weakling.

From Salon • Oct. 19, 2025

If other dimensions exist, however, gravity may not be the weakling it seems to us, because some of its force could be leaking into these other strange dimensions.

From Scientific American • Feb. 14, 2023

“I’ve never seen anyone go after a 50-pound weakling with the same ferocity he goes after a 500-pound rhinoceros.”

From Seattle Times • Mar. 19, 2021

If a given suspect is a knock-kneed weakling, he says, he is less likely to be the culprit than a great big bruiser with Hate tattooed on his forehead.*

From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith

Related Words

• wimp