The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.
Source: tatoeba (2454)
Weak
/wiːk/
Synonyms for "weak" (726 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (146)
Adjective(14 words)
abulicaccentedaccessibleachromaticachromicadamicadamiteadamiticafraidairyalveolaramenableanemicanileanthropocentricanthropologicalapicalapico-alveolarapico-dentalarticulated
Show 92 more words
ashenashyassailableassimilatedasthenicattackableattenuateattenuatedbackbackslidingbarely audiblebarytonebeatablebilabialblearblearedblearybled whitebloodlessblurredblurryboyishbrittlebroadbunglingcacuminalcadaverouscarelesscarnalcentralcerebralcharacterlesscheckedchickenchickenheartedchloranemicclosecoldcolorlessconfusedconquerableconsonantconsonantalcontinuantcowardcowardlycowedcrabbedcrippleddarkdaunteddeaddeadly paledeathly paledebilitateddecrepitdecrescendodelicatedentaldiaphanousdickeydilutediluteddimdimmeddingydiscoloreddismayeddissimilateddistantdoddereddodderingdodderydorsaldroopingdroopydullearthbornearthyeasyeasygoingeffeminateeffeteemasculateenervatedenfeeblederringetherealetiolatedexpugnableexsanguinatedexsanguine
Adjective(12 words)
Noun(6 words)
dilute brothdilute colorless solutiondilute dyedilute juicedilute solutiondilute solvent
Verb(2 words)
dilute evidencedilute ink
Strong matches (217)
exsanguineousfadefadedfaggedfaintfaint-heartedfaint-voicedfaintheartedfaintingfaintishfallenfallowfatiguedfearfulfeatherweightfeeblefeeblemindedfeeling faintfilmyfine
Show 141 more words
fine drawnfine-drawnfinespunfiniteflabbyflaccidflaggingflatflavorlessfleshlyflimsyfloppyfluctuantfoggyfootsoreforcelessfossilizedfragilefrailfrazzledfrontfunkingfunkyfuzzygauzygentlegerontalgeronticghastlygirlishglideglossalglottalgonegood and tiredgossamergracilegraygreygroggygruellygutlessgutturalhaggardhalf-heardhalf-seenhalf-visiblehardhazyheavyhelplesshenheartedhesitanthighhominalhomocentrichuelesshumanhumanistichypochromicill-definedimbecileimplausibleimpotentimpreciseimpressionableimprobableimpureinadequateinaneincompetentinconceivableinconclusiveinconspicuousincredibleindefiniteindifferentindistinctindistinguishableineffectiveineffectualinefficaciousineptinfirminfluenceableinsecureinsipidinsubstantialintimidatedintonatedinvertebrateirresoluteirresponsiblejadedjejunelabiallabiodentallabiovelarlacklusterlacylamelanguidlanguorouslapsedlaterallaxleadenlenientlethargiclightlightweightlily liveredlily-liveredlimberlimplingualliquidlistlesslividlooselowlow profilelow-profileluridlusterlesslustlessmalleableman-centeredmarrowlessmatmealymeekmerely glimpsedmidmildmilk-and-watermilk-liveredmilksoppishmilksoppymistymonophthongal
Adjective(38 words)
faintfaint tracefalliblefeeble attemptfeeble personfeeblestflabbiestflawflawed justificationflimsiestflimsyflimsy argumentflimsy rationalefloppierfragilefrail personfrailerfrailestgauziestgimpy
Show 18 more words
iffiestimperfectimplausibleineffective authorityinfirminsecure algorithminsubstantialinsubstantial claiminsufficientjellylikelamelightlimited correlative influencelow credibilitylow intensitylow potentialmaigreminor justification
Verb(1 words)
Related words (363)
moribundmortalmossbackedmoth eatenmoth-eatenmousymovablemuddymummylikemurmuredmutednarrownasalnasalizednegligentnervelessneutralno accountno-accountobscure
Show 268 more words
occlusiveof easy virtueof no accountonly humanopenopen mindedopen-mindedout of focusoverindulgentoverpermissiveovertimidovertimorousoxytonepalatalpalatalizedpalepale as deathpale-facedpallidpalsiedpanic-pronepanickypaperypapery-skinnedpappypastypeakypeccablepenetrablepermissivepersuadablepersuasibleperviouspharyngealpharyngealizedphonemicphoneticphonicpianissimopianopigeonheartedpitchpitchedpithlessplasticpliablepliantpoopedpoorpostlapsarianposttonicpowerlesspregnableprodigalpulpypunyrabbityrarerarefiedravaged with ageready to dropreceptiverecidivistrecidivisticrelaxedremissresponsiveretroflexricketyrockyrootlessroundedrubberyrun downrun raggedrun to seedrun-downrustysaggingsallowsaplesssavorlessscarcely heardseedysemivisiblesemivowelsenileshadowyshakyshriveledsicklysinewlesssissifiedsissyslackslenderslenderishslightslight-madeslimslimmishslinkyslipshodsloppysmallsoftsoft-soundingsoft-voicedsonantspicelessspindlyspinelessstalestoppedstrengthlessstressedstricken in yearsstrongsuasiblesubaudiblesubduedsubtlesuggestiblesurdsurmountablesusceptiblesvelteswayablesyllabicsylphliketallow-facedtastelesstelluriantensetenuoustepidthickthinthin-bodiedthin-setthin-spunthinnishthreadlikethroatytimeworntimidtimoroustiredtired-wingedtoilworntonaltonelesstonictotteringtotterytrimmingtwangyunaccentedunangelicunauthoritativeunbelievableuncertainunchasteuncleanunclearuncoloredunconvincingundefinedundependableunfitunflavoredungodlyungoodunhardenedunintelligentunmanlyunmannedunnervedunpalatableunplainunprovedunqualifiedunrecognizableunrefreshedunreliableunrestoredunrestrainedunrighteousunrigorousunroundedunsaintlyunsatisfactoryunsavoryunsoundunstableunstressedunstrungunsubstantialunsuitableunsureunsustaineduntenableunvirtuousvacillatevacillatingvaguevapidvelarvinciblevirtuelessvocalicvocoidvoicedvoicelessvowelvowellikevulnerablewanwantonwashed outwashed-outwashywasp waistedwasp-waistedwateredwatered downwatered-downwaterishwaterywaveringwaxenway-wearywaywardwaywornweak kneedweak mindedweak-kneedweak-mindedweak-voicedweak-willedweakenedweakheartedweaklyweariedwearifulwearyweary-footedweary-ladenweary-wingedweary-wornwhey-facedwhisperedwhitewhite-liveredwidewillowywiltingwiredrawnwishy washywishy-washywispywitheredwithout any weightwizenedwobblywornworn-downyellow
Noun(5 words)
Adjective(49 words)
mushypartial ionizationpolitical impotencepuniestquaggyricketyrubbishysaplessscraggliestscrawniestscrawnyshortcomingshrimpysoft argumentsoggiersoggiestsoggythin argumentthin rubber bandthready
Show 29 more words
toothlesstwiggiestunaccentedunconvincingunfit conditionunforcefulunimpressiveunmanfulunpersuasive argumentunpredictiveunsatisfyingunsound conclusionunsound reasoningvulnerable areawashywateriestwaterywatery argumentwatery explanationwatery saucewatery soupweaklingweaklyweedierweediestwimpiestwispierwispiestwomanish
Adjective(20 words)
Determiner(1 words)
the powerless
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: feeble, frail, abulic, accented, accessible.
- Sentence evidence is available for weak, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "weak".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "weak"
Keep "weak" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "weak" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "weak", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "weak" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
7 entriesMore specific
17 entriesShowing 16 of 17 words.
Collocations
9 entriesweak acidweak argumentweak baseweak evidenceweak linkweak performanceweak pointweak signalweak tea
Inflections
2 entriesDerivations
6 entriesAntonyms
1 entriessimilar
36 entriesShowing 16 of 36 words.
Sample sentences
35 total sentences available.
The strong will survive and the weak will die.
Source: tatoeba (19218)
The strong must help the weak.
Source: tatoeba (19219)
The strong should take care of the weak.
Source: tatoeba (19220)
Showing 4 of 35 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "weak"?
Closest matches include feeble, frail, abulic, accented, accessible.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "weak"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.