Infirm

//ɪnˈfɜːm// adj, verb

adj, verb ·Common ·High school level

Definitions

Verb
  1. 1
    To contradict, to provide proof that something is not.

    "The thought is that you see an episode of observation, experiment, or reasoning as confirming or infirming a hypothesis depending on whether your probability for it increases or decreases during the episode."

Adjective
  1. 1
    Weak or ill, not in good health.

    "He was infirm of body but still keen of mind, and though it looked like he couldn't walk across the room, he crushed me in debate."

  2. 2
    Irresolute; weak of mind or will.

    "Infirm of purpose! Give me the daggers: […]"

  3. 3
    Frail; unstable; insecure.

    "He who fixes upon false Principles, treads upon Infirm ground, and so sinks […]"

Adjective
  1. 1
    lacking firmness of will or character or purpose wordnet
  2. 2
    lacking bodily or muscular strength or vitality wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms
decrepitirresoluteabulicadamicadriftafloat

Example

More examples

"BMI categories (underweight, overweight or obese) from general reading table are inappropriate for athletes, children, the elderly, and the infirm."

Etymology

* The noun is from Middle English infirme, from Latin infirmus (“weak, feeble”). * The verb is from Latin īnfirmāre.

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.