What does "meek" mean?
To tame; to break (a horse)
Meek
/miːk/ adj, name, verb
adj, name, verb ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: To tame; to break (a horse)
- Grammar: meek is listed as adj, name, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: mild, abased, abject, accommodating.
- Useful contrasts: brave, cheeky, proud.
- Usage evidence: There's more to her than you think. She may seem pretty meek on first glance, but I get the sense she can get things done when she needs to.
How to use "meek"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "meek" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "meek" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "meek" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "meek" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "meek" is acting as adj, name, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "mild" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "meek", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Verb
- 1 To tame; to break (a horse) US
Adjective
- 1 Humble, non-boastful, modest, meager, or self-effacing.
"Blessed are the meeke: for they shall inherit the earth."
- 2 Submissive, dispirited, cowed.
"What if they were wolves instead of lambs? They'd eat her all the sooner if she was meek to them. Fight or be eaten."
Adjective
- 1 evidencing little spirit or courage; overly submissive or compliant wordnet
- 2 humble in spirit or manner; suggesting retiring mildness or even cowed submissiveness wordnet
- 3 very docile wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
- 2 An unincorporated community in Holt County, Nebraska, United States.
Example
"There's more to her than you think. She may seem pretty meek on first glance, but I get the sense she can get things done when she needs to."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "meek"?
Common synonyms include: mild, abased, abject, accommodating, acquiescent, adapting.
How do you use "meek" in a sentence?
There's more to her than you think. She may seem pretty meek on first glance, but I get the sense she can get things done when she needs to.
How do you pronounce "meek"?
Pronounced /miːk/.
Etymology
From Middle English meek, meke, meoc, probably a borrowing from Old Norse mjúkr (“soft; meek”), from Proto-Germanic *meukaz, *mūkaz (“soft; supple”), from Proto-Indo-European *mewg-, *mewk- (“slick, slippery; to slip”); compare Old English smēag (“subtle, stealthy, etc.”) and smūgan. Cognate with Swedish and Norwegian Nynorsk mjuk (“soft”), Norwegian Bokmål myk (“soft”), and Danish myg (“supple”), Dutch muik (“soft, overripe”), dialectal German mauch (“dry and decayed, rotten”), Mauche (“malanders”). Compare as well Welsh mwyth (“soft, weak”), Latin ēmungō (“to blow one's nose”), Tocharian A muk- (“to let go, give up”), Lithuanian mùkti (“to slip away from”), Proto-Slavic *mękъkъ (“soft”), Ancient Greek μύσσομαι (mússomai, “to blow the nose”), Sanskrit मुञ्चति (muñcati, “to release, let loose”).