Standard Lemma guide

weakling

adj · noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈwiːkˈlɪŋɡ/
  • /ˈwiːklɪŋɡ/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: W IY1 K L IH0 NG Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

weak, either physically, morally or mentally

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A person of weak or even sickly physical constitution.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A person of weak character, lacking in courage and/or moral strength.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively

Examples

  • c.1551, Hugh Latimer, a sermon in Lincolnshire We may not be weaklings because we have a strong enemy.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

a person who is physically weak and ineffectual

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: doormat, wuss

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: person, individual, someone, somebody, mortal, soul

Narrower terms: namby-pamby, softy, softie, wimp, chicken, crybaby

History

Etymology

From weak + -ling.

Across languages

Translations

86 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: слаб (slab) — weak, either physically, morally or mentally
  • Bulgarian: хилав (hilav) — weak, either physically, morally or mentally
  • Hebrew: חֲלַשְׁלוּשׁ (ẖalashlúsh) — weak, either physically, morally or mentally
  • Northern Kurdish: belingaz — weak, either physically, morally or mentally
  • Northern Kurdish: perîşan — weak, either physically, morally or mentally
  • Northern Kurdish: jar — weak, either physically, morally or mentally
  • Northern Kurdish: hejar — weak, either physically, morally or mentally
  • Māori: rōrā — weak, either physically, morally or mentally
  • Māori: tīmohea — weak, either physically, morally or mentally
  • Portuguese: fracote — weak, either physically, morally or mentally
  • Russian: сла́бый (slábyj) — weak, either physically, morally or mentally
  • Russian: хи́лый (xílyj) — weak, either physically, morally or mentally
  • Spanish: enclenque — weak, either physically, morally or mentally
  • Spanish: fuñingue — weak, either physically, morally or mentally
  • Spanish: pusilánime — weak, either physically, morally or mentally
  • Swedish: vek — weak, either physically, morally or mentally
  • Bulgarian: слабак (slabak) — person of weak or even sickly physical constitution
  • Catalan: nyicris — person of weak or even sickly physical constitution
  • Czech: slaboch — person of weak or even sickly physical constitution
  • Danish: svækling — person of weak or even sickly physical constitution
  • Dutch: zwakkeling — person of weak or even sickly physical constitution
  • Esperanto: malfortulo — person of weak or even sickly physical constitution
  • Finnish: rääpäle — person of weak or even sickly physical constitution
  • Finnish: surkimus — person of weak or even sickly physical constitution
  • French: gringalet — person of weak or even sickly physical constitution
  • German: Schwächling — person of weak or even sickly physical constitution
  • German: Abziehbildle — person of weak or even sickly physical constitution
  • Northern Kurdish: belingaz — person of weak or even sickly physical constitution
  • Northern Kurdish: perîşan — person of weak or even sickly physical constitution
  • Northern Kurdish: jar — person of weak or even sickly physical constitution
  • Northern Kurdish: hejar — person of weak or even sickly physical constitution
  • Northern Kurdish: şepirze — person of weak or even sickly physical constitution
  • Macedonian: сла́бак (slábak) — person of weak or even sickly physical constitution
  • Māori: tīmohea — person of weak or even sickly physical constitution
  • Māori: rōrā — person of weak or even sickly physical constitution
  • Polish: słabeusz — person of weak or even sickly physical constitution
  • Portuguese: fracote — person of weak or even sickly physical constitution
  • Russian: слаба́к (slabák) — person of weak or even sickly physical constitution
  • Sanskrit: दुर्बल (durbala) — person of weak or even sickly physical constitution
  • Spanish: enclenque — person of weak or even sickly physical constitution
  • Swedish: ynkling — person of weak or even sickly physical constitution
  • Swedish: vekling — person of weak or even sickly physical constitution
  • Swedish: sillmjölke — person of weak or even sickly physical constitution
  • Welsh: swbach — person of weak or even sickly physical constitution
  • Bulgarian: малодушен човек (malodušen čovek) — person of weak character
  • Catalan: nyicris — person of weak character
  • Chinese Mandarin: 懦夫 (nuòfū) — person of weak character
  • Finnish: ketale — person of weak character
  • Finnish: kutale — person of weak character
  • Finnish: surkimus — person of weak character
  • French: poule mouillée — person of weak character
  • French: chiffe molle — person of weak character
  • German: Schwächling — person of weak character
  • German: Feigling — person of weak character
  • German: Weichei — person of weak character
  • Irish: meatachán — person of weak character
  • Italian: femminuccia — person of weak character
  • Italian: coniglio — person of weak character
  • Italian: fifone — person of weak character
  • Italian: codardo — person of weak character
  • Italian: vigliacco — person of weak character
  • Italian: pollo — person of weak character
  • Italian: merlo — person of weak character
  • Italian: mollusco — person of weak character
  • Italian: pappamolle — person of weak character
  • Italian: smidollato — person of weak character
  • Italian: rammollito — person of weak character
  • Japanese: 弱虫 (yowamushi) — person of weak character
  • Northern Kurdish: belingaz — person of weak character
  • Northern Kurdish: perîşan — person of weak character
  • Northern Kurdish: jar — person of weak character
  • Northern Kurdish: hejar — person of weak character
  • Northern Kurdish: reben — person of weak character
  • Luxembourgish: Feigling — person of weak character
  • Macedonian: сла́бак (slábak) — person of weak character
  • Macedonian: ли́гуш (líguš) — person of weak character
  • Norwegian Bokmål: svekling — person of weak character
  • Polish: słabeusz — person of weak character
  • Polish: mięczak — person of weak character
  • Portuguese: fracote — person of weak character
  • Russian: слаба́к (slabák) — person of weak character
  • Russian: хлю́пик (xljúpik) — person of weak character
  • Russian: тря́пка (trjápka) — person of weak character
  • Spanish: pusilánime — person of weak character
  • Swedish: ynkling — person of weak character
  • Welsh: llipryn — person of weak character