ENGLISH
REFERENCE

feeble

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈfibəɫ// UK //fˈiːbəl// fee·ble Archaic

adj. very weak and lacking physical strength or power. You can also use it to describe an excuse or argument that is not convincing.

adj. lacking physical strength, especially as a result of age or illness; failing to convince or achieve an intended effect.


SIMPLE

The old man gave a feeble wave as we drove away.

CONTEXTUAL

The manager was not impressed by the employee's feeble excuse for arriving two hours late to the meeting.

COMPLEX

Despite the patient's feeble condition, she managed to whisper a few words of gratitude to the medical staff before falling back into a deep sleep.

Synonyms
Origin

Etymology tree Anglo-Norman feblebor. Middle English feble English feeble From Middle English feble, from Anglo-Norman feble (“weak, feeble”) (compare French faible), from Latin flēbilis (“tearful, mournful, lamentable”) by dissimilation, from fleō (“to weep, cry”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰleh₁-. Doublet of foible.

Usage

Often used predicatively after 'feel' or 'look', or attributively to modify nouns like 'excuse', 'attempt', or 'effort'.

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