as in fragile
chronically or repeatedly suffering from poor health
a weakly baby who required repeated hospitalizations
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in feebly
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of weakly
David Brown, Twin Cities, 6 Sep. 2025
These differences matter — research shows the benefits are strongest where enforcement is clear and coverage is broad, while partial or weakly enforced laws yield far less impact.
—Nirit Cohen, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
In microtransfer printing, laser dies [red rectangles, left] are weakly held in place on their own wafer.
—Roel Baets, IEEE Spectrum, 8 Apr. 2023
Adjective
After striking out weakly in his at-bat in the fourth, the Twins removed Jeffers from the game.
—David Brown, Twin Cities, 6 Sep. 2025
These differences matter — research shows the benefits are strongest where enforcement is clear and coverage is broad, while partial or weakly enforced laws yield far less impact.
—Nirit Cohen, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
In microtransfer printing, laser dies [red rectangles, left] are weakly held in place on their own wafer.
—Roel Baets, IEEE Spectrum, 8 Apr. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for weakly
Adjective
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The institutions of the new democracy were fragile, and the military still wielded enough influence to block meaningful accountability.—
Julia Vargas Jones,
CNN Money,
12 Sep. 2025
-
The gown has since become too fragile to showcase and doesn’t leave the museum.—
Ariana Quihuiz,
PEOPLE,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The ultrarich formula uses amino acids to reinforce weak strands, glycerin to hydrate and soften, silicones to smooth the cuticle, and coconut oil to add more moisture and shine.—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
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China’s economy showed further signs of weakness last month, with key data Monday revealing factory output and consumption rising at their weakest pace for around a year.—
Nino Paoli,
Fortune,
15 Sep. 2025
Adverb
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The porch smells faintly of lime and ginger, and the house hums the way houses do when a good conversation has just ended.—
Gina Pace,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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The gallery smells faintly of cinnamon and polished wood.—
Caroline Rogers,
Southern Living,
31 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Results may not apply directly to frailer elderly adults or people with knee conditions.—
Paul McClure
September 11,
New Atlas,
11 Sep. 2025
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Talking to Bill Nighy about his star turn as a frail and at times broken novelist in & Sons is rather hampered by the British actor not having seen director Pablo Trapero’s father-and-son drama on a screen of any size ahead of its world premiere on Sunday at the Toronto Film Festival.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Sep. 2025
Adverb
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On set, Sir John used Make Up For Ever’s Artist Color Pencils to softly line and define eyes, before using individual lashes on the bottom for a doll-like effect.—
Karina Hoshikawa,
Refinery29,
10 Sep. 2025
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Go softly when dealing with others.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Ryan didn’t waver about his feelings in a follow-up after his sickly outing.—
David Brown,
Twin Cities,
8 Sep. 2025
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Cinematographer James Friend creates a purgatorial realm of disorienting angles and neon lights too sickly to be beautiful, the nightmarishness further underlined by Volker Bertelman’s thundering score.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Aug. 2025
Adverb
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The Dream Chaser is designed to deliver cargo and eventually people to orbit, landing as gently as a commercial airliner.—
Bernard Marr,
Forbes.com,
12 Sep. 2025
-
As with any career as long as his, there have been moments when perhaps his aesthetic wasn’t so aligned with where fashion was going, but mention that and Roversi will gently put it to one side.—
Mark Holgate,
Vogue,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Beijing maintains the ruling is invalid.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Sep. 2025
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The other client of Miami’s Rawsi Williams in the Bar’s petition, however, filed a Bar grievance after the first settlement funds check sent to her was declared invalid by her bank.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
9 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Weakly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/weakly. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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