meek

adjective

ˈmēk 

1

a

: enduring harm or injury with patience and without resentment

… content to bind her broken spirit to the dutiful and meek endurance of the present.

—Charles Dickens

"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."

—Matthew 5:5 (Revised Standard Version)

b

: having or showing a quiet and gentle nature : mild

Hazan … held the female pup up, allowing its meek calls to project over the clamoring waves.

—Dino Grandoni and Melina Mara

This is not a color for the meek, and fabric styles are equally bold these days.

—Erin Hayes Burt

2

: deficient in spirit and courage : submissive

"I don't care," came the meek reply.

—Annetta Miller

My indignation ebbed away, and into my being rushed the tides of fear. I saw at last, clear-eyed, what I was up against. I grew meek and lowly.

—Jack London

3

: not violent or strong

But growth is meek, which could be a sign of consumer skittishness.

—Jonathan Lansner

His delivery varied from a meek, melodic patter to rapid-fire scriptural allusions …

—Bob Trebilcock

meekly adverb

Synonyms of meek

• humble
• modest
• timid

Examples of meek in a Sentence

a meek child dominated by his brothers

She may seem meek and mild but it is all an act.

Recent Examples on the Web

Tessa Thompson stars as the willful heroine, married to a rather meek academic, George Tesman (Tom Bateman), who’s angling for an important university position. —Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 22 Oct. 2025

Employment growth is meek, but the labor market is holding steady. —Samantha Subin, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2025

Even though Sunday night’s game devolved into a meek, 3-1 loss, the club is still eight wins from a potential World Series title with the hopes of a nation on their collective shoulders. —Joe Kozlowski, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025

Doherty, 30, is playing meek flower shop assistant Seymour in the treasured musical, about a strange and unusual plant that feeds only on human flesh and blood. —Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse mjūkr gentle; akin to Welsh esmwyth soft

First Known Use

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for meek

• beak
• beek
• bleak
• cheek
• chic
• clique
• creak
• creek
• eke
• freak
• geek
• greek

Kids Definition

meek

adjective

ˈmēk 

1

: putting up with wrongs patiently and without complaint : mild

2

: lacking spirit or self-assurance : humble

meekly adverb

meekness noun