2
general::
adj. VERBS appear, be, feel, look, seem, sound | become, go | remain | leave sb, make sb When the spasm passed, it left him weak and sweating. ADV. decidedly, extremely, fundamentally, particularly, very | a bit, comparatively, fairly, pretty, quite, rather, relatively | curiously He complained of feeling curiously weak and faint. | surprisingly | dangerously | lamentably | suddenly Her legs felt suddenly weak. | inherently The judge decided the evidence was inherently weak and inconsistent. | economically, mentally, militarily, physically, politically PREP. at She's rather weak at maths. | from She was weak from shock. | in He's weak in English. | on The essay was a bit weak on detail. | with He was weak with hunger. PHRASES weak at the knees His sudden smile made her go weak at the knees.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
3
general::
not physically strong
weak
not physically strong, sometimes because you are ill:
• Tom’s had flu and he’s still feeling weak. • The doctors said she was too weak to have an operation. • He suffered constantly from a weak chest.
frail
weak and thin, especially because you are old:
• a frail 85-year-old lady • My grandfather’s becoming quite frail now.
shaky
feeling weak in your legs and only able to walk slowly and unsteadily:
• When I came out of hospital I was a bit shaky for a while.
puny
especially disapproving small, thin, and looking very weak:
• his puny white arms • He was a puny little boy who was often bullied at school.
feeble
especially written weak and unable to do much because you are very ill, very old or young:
• For a week she was too feeble to get out of bed. • a tiny, feeble baby
delicate
weak and often becoming ill easily:
• a delicate child • She had rather a delicate constitution (= her body easily became ill ) .
infirm
formal weak or ill for a long time, especially because you are old:
• a residential home for people who are elderly and infirm • There are special facilities for wheelchair users and infirm guests.
malnourished
formal weak or ill because you have not had enough good food to eat:
• Half a million people there are severely malnourished. • The organization provides emergency feeding for malnourished children.
likely to break
weak
unable to support much weight, and likely to break:
• The foundations of the building are rather weak. • an old chair with weak legs
fragile
made of a thin material that is easy to break or damage – used when something needs to be handled carefully:
• a fragile china vase • Be careful of those glasses – they’re very fragile.
delicate
easy to break or damage – used especially about soft materials, skin etc:
• Wash delicate fabrics separately. • This soap is good for delicate skin.
flimsy
not well-made from strong materials and so easily damaged – used about furniture, houses etc:
• a flimsy plastic table • This keyboard’s very cheap but it’s a bit flimsy.
rickety
in very bad condition and likely to break – used about a building, piece of furniture, vehicle etc:
• a rickety old bicycle • He lived in a rickety hut on the beach for several years.
Longman-Thesaurus