Synonyms of feeble

feeble

adjective

ˈfē-bəl 

as in weak

lacking bodily strength

feeble members of the congregation are not expected to stand or kneel during services

Synonyms & Similar Words

• weak
• weakened
• frail
• faint
• enfeebled
• disabled
• infirm
• wimpy
• debilitated
• slight
• paralyzed
• unsubstantial
• tired
• soft
• languid
• softened
• asthenic
• exhausted
• wasted
• vulnerable
• low
• effete
• prostrate
• delicate
• wimpish
• enervated
• injured
• tender
• incapacitated
• fragile
• down-and-out
• weary
• sapped
• challenged
• prostrated
• invalid
• unsteady
• impotent
• powerless
• decrepit
• flimsy
• drained
• lame
• dizzy
• damaged
• susceptible
• impaired
• hurt
• rocky
• groggy
• woozy
• breakable
• broken-down
• unsound
• resistless
• flagging
• worn-out
• yielding
• unresistant
• harmed

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• strong
• powerful
• mighty
• stout
• muscular
• rugged
• stalwart
• virile
• robust
• athletic
• hard
• sinewy
• beefy
• sturdy
• hardy
• tough
• brawny
• lusty
• husky
• fit
• vigorous
• able-bodied
• hardened
• strengthened
• energetic
• fortified
• sound
• healthy
• capable
• competent
• strapping
• energized
• hale
• toughened
• red-blooded
• inured
• vitalized
• invigorated
• recovering
• convalescing
• recuperating

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective feeble contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of feeble are decrepit, fragile, frail, infirm, and weak. While all these words mean "not strong enough to endure strain, pressure, or strenuous effort," feeble suggests extreme weakness inviting pity or contempt.

a feeble attempt to walk

When might decrepit be a better fit than feeble?

While the synonyms decrepit and feeble are close in meaning, decrepit implies being worn-out or broken-down from long use or old age.

the dowager's decrepit retainers

When would fragile be a good substitute for feeble?

The words fragile and feeble are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, fragile suggests frailty and brittleness unable to resist rough usage.

a reclusive poet too fragile for the rigors of this world

When is it sensible to use frail instead of feeble?

While in some cases nearly identical to feeble, frail implies delicacy and slightness of constitution or structure.

a frail teenager unable to enjoy sports

When can infirm be used instead of feeble?

Although the words infirm and feeble have much in common, infirm suggests instability, unsoundness, and insecurity due to old age or crippling illness.

infirm residents requiring constant care

In what contexts can weak take the place of feeble?

The synonyms weak and feeble are sometimes interchangeable, but weak applies to deficiency or inferiority in strength or power of any sort.

felt weak after the surgery

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of feeble

But the currency is still weak and spending still feeble, prompting fresh debate about what actions the country’s central bank should take. —River Akira Davis, New York Times, 17 Feb. 2025

Jobson, the college sophomore, fainted on deck, and Ward Weimar, the Dartmouth student, became too feeble to handle the wheel. —David Wolman, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Jan. 2025

Breath fogs the air, ice slicks the roads, and the sun seems a distant, feeble glow in the winter sky. —Jamie Carter, Forbes, 4 Jan. 2025

Trump mocked Biden as feeble and the worst president ever. —Alexandra Hutzler, ABC News, 19 Jan. 2025