Synonyms: Weak

Do you know the difference between frail, feeble, and frangible? Strengthen your vocabulary with this list of words. Learn them all, and you'll feel like a genius! For more synonym lists, explore our Say What You Mean resources.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. anemic
    lacking vigor or energy
    I’m no Spartan and hold up an anemic wrist to prove it. The House on Mango Street
    Anemia is a condition where someone lacks enough red blood cells to carry oxygen to their tissues. As a result, anemic people appear pale, and are often weak.
  2. brittle
    having little elasticity
    Standing in each was a withered old woman, so dried up and brittle they reminded Piper of mummies—except mummies didn’t normally move. The Mark of Athena
    Something brittle, like a dried twig, can be easily snapped in two.
  3. debilitating
    impairing strength and vitality
    I staggered to my feet, the pain attacking me in debilitating waves. Hollow City
  4. enervate
    weaken physically, mentally, or morally
    And he acknowledged being worn, enervated and world-weary. New York Times (Jul 19, 2010)
  5. faint
    lacking strength or vigor
    Their voices sounded faint and ghostly, as if dozens of ghosts floated over the rubble, crying in little, distant voices for help. Dragonwings
  6. feeble
    pathetically lacking in force or effectiveness
    They felt so feeble in his iron strength. Twilight
    A feeble effort hardly counts as an effort at all; a feeble person is barely strong enough to move.
  7. flaccid
    drooping without elasticity
    His limbs became flaccid, his eyesight shrouded by a dark mist. Redwall
  8. flimsy
    lacking solidity or strength
    I think his weight should buckle the flimsy cot, but it doesn’t. Challenger Deep
    Flimsy is often used to describe a structure that's poorly made or too delicate to stand for any length of time.
  9. fragile
    easily broken or damaged or destroyed
    When everyone treated him as if he was fragile, as if he would crumble any second. Anger Is a Gift
  10. frail
    physically weak
    Some reports say she was born frail and unable to fend off disease. The Belles
    Frail comes from the same Latin root — fragilis, meaning "easily broken" — as fragile.
  11. frangible
    capable of being broken
    Fortunately there was nothing frangible inside, and so no damage was done. Abbott, Jacob
    Frangible originates in the Latin verb frangere, meaning "to break."
  12. gutless
    weak in willpower, courage or vitality
    I knew I’d never be as strong as my grandfather, but I wasn’t a gutless weakling, either. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
  13. halting
    limping; not able to walk steadily or properly
    It was advancing in an odd halting gait. Hoot
    Someone with a halting gait has difficulty walking.
  14. infirm
    lacking bodily or muscular strength or vitality
    Soon, Walter needed to be moved into the sort of facility that provided care for the elderly and infirm. Just Mercy
    Firm means "solid" or "strong." Infirm is the opposite, and is often used to describe an elderly person in poor health.
  15. puny
    of inferior size
    He clearly thought I was too young and too puny to be useful. The Boy on the Wooden Box
    Puny means "small and weak."
  16. rickety
    inclined to shake as from weakness or defect
    As rickety and feeble as I felt, it was obvious that everyone else except Stuart Hutchison was faring even worse. Into Thin Air
    Rickets is a childhood disease caused by a vitamin D deficiency that causes bone deformities and weakness.
  17. shaky
    inclined to move back and forth as from weakness or defect
    I went through my bag and unwrapped my diary with shaky, hungry hands. The Night Diary
  18. sickly
    somewhat ill or prone to illness
    He was probably about eighteen, but so skinny and sickly pale, he could’ve passed for younger. The Son of Neptune
  19. vulnerable
    capable of being wounded or hurt
    Mr. Richardson was suddenly keenly conscious of Mirabelle, of the immense weight of the complicated world on this one tiny, vulnerable person. Little Fires Everywhere
  20. wan
    lacking vitality as from weariness or illness or unhappiness
    The sight brought a wan smile to her lips. A Dance with Dragons
Created on Mon Mar 09 20:49:33 EDT 2020 (updated Mon Mar 22 17:31:10 EDT 2021)

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