# feeble

/ˈfibəɫ/ (US) · /fˈiːbəl/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/feeble
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. physically weak

adjective · CEFR B2

very weak and without much physical strength, often because of age or illness.

For teachers: deficient in physical strength or vitality, typically due to senescence, pathology, or exhaustion.

- The patient was too feeble to sit up in bed without help from the nurse.
- After weeks of fever, the old man was left in a feeble state, barely able to lift a spoon to his mouth.

### 2. lacking force or power

adjective · CEFR B2

not strong or effective, like a quiet sound, a dim light, or a bad excuse.

For teachers: lacking intensity, force, or effectiveness in action or expression.

- He made a feeble excuse for being late, but nobody believed him.
- The torch emitted only a feeble beam of light that failed to penetrate the thick fog surrounding the hikers.

## Examples

- The old man gave a feeble wave as we drove away.
- The manager was not impressed by the employee's feeble excuse for arriving two hours late to the meeting.
- 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.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.