feeble
fee·ble (fē′bəl)
adjective -·bler, -·blest
weak; not strong; specif.,
- infirm a feeble old man
- without force or effectiveness a feeble light, a feeble attempt
- easily broken; frail a feeble barrier
Etymology: ME feble < OFr faible, feble < L flebilis, to be wept over < flere, to weep < IE base *bhlē-, to howl > bleat, blare
feeble
modif.
Lacking strength
Lacking effectiveness
impotent, ineffectual, insufficient; see ineffective. See syn. study at weak.
Modifying Another Word
- rather: We give what we really know are rather feeble excuses.
- pretty: They make our efforts look pretty feeble by comparison.
- however: He will never cut anything back: never remove a plant however feeble it has become.
- too: He was too feeble in body for the strain.
- increasingly: What people tend to forget to mention from the increasingly feeble Tory party is that they are wasting the poor's money.
- so: A mere thank you sounds so feeble but, THANK YOU.
Adjective complement with noun phrase
- seem: This argument on its own may seem a bit feeble.
Modifies a noun
- excuse: She makes feeble excuse about no beer in fridge.
- imitation: There are many examples of the ways in which modern buildings can respect the character of older ones, without resorting to feeble imitation.
- attempt: All in all FAR FAR better than GB's feeble attempt to run a world class event.
- glow: The flame shrinks until it is just a feeble glow.
- joke: Should the previous sentence again be incomprehensible thanks to the computer, then, dear reader, try to guess the rather feeble joke.
- knee: May our weak hands and feeble knees be strengthened and our souls revived in such a way that we will magnify the Lord.
Used with adjective complement
- seem: On closer examination both of them seem rather feeble.
- grow: A time when mortal hearts slow, pulses growing feeble as their innocent souls ripen for death.
- become: With human wants, kind spirits may become feeble through hunger.
- look: Suddenly, the national central banks of the Euro area are looking rather feeble, putting huge pressure on the center in Frankfurt.
- feel: He felt so feeble that he was unable to do anything.
- remain: Even at this level, the investments remain very feeble.
Preposition: in
- extreme: The language, however is flat and feeble in the extreme in any case.
Persuasion is the resource of the feeble; and the feeble can seldom persuade.
I know that Ihavethe bodyof a weak and feeble woman, but I havetheheart and stomach of a kingöand a king of England too; and think foul scorn that Parma or Spain, or any Prince of Europe, should dare to invade the borders of my realm.
Browse dictionary entries near feeble
- feeb
- fee tail
- fee-splitting
- fee simple
- fee
- Fedwire
- fedora
- federative
- federation
- federate
- feeble-minded
- feebleminded
- feebleness
- feed
- feed bag
- feed on
- feed ratio
- feedback
- feeder
- feeder cattle
