: the quality or state of being meek : a mild, moderate, humble, or submissive quality
He is accomplished in the art of approaching strangers, donning an air of such meekness and respect that no one can believe for long that he's a cop.—
William Finnegan
William FinneganHis stance on Chinese trade has wavered to date between sheer intimidation on the campaign trail and meekness in actual negotiations.—Sara Hsu
Sara HsuSynonyms
Examples of meekness in a Sentence
like most other things, meekness is best practiced in moderation
Recent Examples on the Web
Most disconcerting is the meekness of Washington’s supposedly stalwart European allies.
—Raphael Cohen, Foreign Affairs, 5 Nov. 2014
But to see Bass as a kumbaya leader — or to mistake her softness for meekness — is to fundamentally misunderstand her.
—Julia Wick, Los Angeles Times, 23 June 2024
Its rejection of the player feels somehow intentional—the result of meekness, perhaps, or some unknowable thought process.
—Patrick House, The New Yorker, 19 Mar. 2024
Watch Leo on Netflix Anger Management Sandler stars alongside Jack Nicholson in 2003’s Anger Management, about a mild-mannered man (Sandler) who learns to overcome his meekness with the help of a loud, brash, slobby anger management coach (Nicholson).
—Keith Langston, Peoplemag, 1 Mar. 2024
Dempsey brings the perfect balance of awkwardness and genuine romanticism to his scenes with Peterson, and forges a believable arc from meekness to self-confidence for Ronald.
—Ew Staff, EW.com, 8 Nov. 2023
There’s a meekness at play which never lets up, even in moments when Mildred surprises herself and tries to wrestle control over her own life (throwing her cheating husband out of her house, yelling at her ungrateful viper of a daughter, falling madly in lust with a mustachioed playboy).
—Manuel Betancourt, Vulture, 27 May 2021
The series oversells Walt’s meekness at first.
—Los Angeles Times, 18 Nov. 2021
Caroline is furious with her insubordinate daughter, and Emmie is incensed by Caroline’s meekness.
—Alexandra Schwartz, The New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2021
Raphael Cohen, Foreign Affairs, 5 Nov. 2014
But to see Bass as a kumbaya leader — or to mistake her softness for meekness — is to fundamentally misunderstand her.
—Julia Wick, Los Angeles Times, 23 June 2024
Its rejection of the player feels somehow intentional—the result of meekness, perhaps, or some unknowable thought process.
—Patrick House, The New Yorker, 19 Mar. 2024
Watch Leo on Netflix Anger Management Sandler stars alongside Jack Nicholson in 2003’s Anger Management, about a mild-mannered man (Sandler) who learns to overcome his meekness with the help of a loud, brash, slobby anger management coach (Nicholson).
—Keith Langston, Peoplemag, 1 Mar. 2024
Dempsey brings the perfect balance of awkwardness and genuine romanticism to his scenes with Peterson, and forges a believable arc from meekness to self-confidence for Ronald.
—Ew Staff, EW.com, 8 Nov. 2023
There’s a meekness at play which never lets up, even in moments when Mildred surprises herself and tries to wrestle control over her own life (throwing her cheating husband out of her house, yelling at her ungrateful viper of a daughter, falling madly in lust with a mustachioed playboy).
—Manuel Betancourt, Vulture, 27 May 2021
The series oversells Walt’s meekness at first.
—Los Angeles Times, 18 Nov. 2021
Caroline is furious with her insubordinate daughter, and Emmie is incensed by Caroline’s meekness.
—Alexandra Schwartz, The New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2021
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'meekness.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Meekness.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/meekness. Accessed 4 Oct. 2024.
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