weak

== English == === Alternative forms === weake (obsolete) === Etymology === From Middle English weyk, wayk, weik, waik, borrowed from Old Norse veikr (“weak”), from Proto-Germanic *waikwaz (“weak, yielded, pliant, bendsome”), of uncertain origin. Cognate with Old English wāc (“weak, bendsome”), Saterland Frisian wook (“soft, gentle, tender”), West Frisian weak (“soft”), Dutch week (“soft, weak”), German weich (“weak, soft”), Norwegian veik (“weak”), Swedish vek (“weak, pliant”), Icelandic veikur (“bendsome, weak”). Related to Old English wīcan (“to yield”). Related to week and wick. The grammar sense is a calque of German schwach. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /wi(ː)k/, [wɪik] Rhymes: -iːk Hyphenation: weak Homophone: week === Adjective === weak (comparative weaker, superlative weakest) Lacking in force (usually strength) or ability. Unable to sustain a great weight, pressure, or strain. Limp, soft. Unable to withstand temptation, urgency, persuasion, etc.; easily impressed, moved, or overcome; accessible; vulnerable. (often with for) Having a strong, irrepressible emotional love for someone or (less often) something; sentimentally affected by such love. Dilute, lacking in taste or potency. (grammar) Displaying a particular kind of inflection, including: Antonym: strong (Germanic languages, of verbs) Regular in inflection, lacking vowel changes and having a past tense marked by /-d-/, /-t-/, or /-ð-/. Coordinate terms: strong, irregular (Germanic languages, of nouns) Showing less distinct grammatical endings. (Germanic languages, of adjectives) Definite in meaning, often used with a definite article or similar word. (Semitic languages) Related to, containing, or being a consonant which is prone to disappearing in some inflections, in most applicable languages including (but not limited to) w and y. (Uralic languages) Related to, being, or containing the lenis consonant gradation, which resulted from historically closed syllables. (Indo-European studies, especially of stems or inflected roots) Of a form in which the accent tends to shift forwards (to the right, in transcription) or did so ancestrally in Proto-Indo-European, relative to the strong stem (which has the leftmost accent allowed). Antonym: strong (of nouns and adjectives) In a grammatical case other than nominative, accusative, vocative or sometimes locative singular. (of verbs) In a conjugation other than singular active forms (regardless of person, tense etc.). (phonology) Lenis, pronounced with less force or less markedness. (chemistry) That does not ionize completely into anions and cations in a solution. a weak acid;  a weak base (physics) One of the four fundamental forces associated with nuclear decay. (slang) Bad or uncool. (mathematics, logic) Having a narrow range of logical consequences; narrowly applicable. (Often contrasted with a strong statement which implies it.) Resulting from, or indicating, lack of judgment, discernment, or firmness; unwise; hence, foolish. Not having power to convince; not supported by force of reason or truth; unsustained. Lacking in vigour or expression. Not prevalent or effective, or not felt to be prevalent; not potent; feeble. (stock market) Tending towards lower prices. (photography) Lacking contrast. ==== Synonyms ==== (lacking in force or ability): feeble, frail, powerless, vincible, assailable, vulnerable (lacking in taste or potency): dilute, watery See also Thesaurus:weak ==== Antonyms ==== (antonym(s) of “lacking in force or ability”): healthy, powerful, robust, strong, invincible (antonym(s) of “lacking in taste or potency”): potent, robust, strong (antonym(s) of “chemistry: that does not ionize completely”): strong ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === References === === Anagrams === Wake, wake, weka == West Frisian == === Etymology === From Old Frisian wāk, from Proto-West Germanic *waikw. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /vɪə̯k/ === Adjective === weak (Clay) soft ==== Inflection ==== ==== Alternative forms ==== wêk (Wood) ==== Further reading ==== “weak (I)”, in Wurdboek fan de Fryske taal (in Dutch), 2011