meek

adjective

ˈmēk 

1

: enduring injury with patience and without resentment : mild

a meek child dominated by his brothers

2

: deficient in spirit and courage : submissive

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

—Annetta Miller

3

: not violent or strong : moderate

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

—Bob Trebilcock

meekly adverb

Synonyms

• demure
• down-to-earth
• humble
• lowly
• modest
• unassuming
• unpretentious

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

Sweeney plays against type as a meek, dowdy wife fighting to find her voice. —Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 8 Sep. 2024

The list includes nations large and small, rich and poor, mighty and meek, industrial and agrarian, developed and undeveloped, diverse and homogeneous, well established and newly or recently created. —Eli Amdur, Forbes, 17 Aug. 2024

The paintings, yes, thwart the racist stereotype that Asian women are meek and docile, but that’s not a statement Ba is trying to make. —Ann Binlot, ARTnews.com, 5 Sep. 2024

Scholz’s Social Democrats recorded meek results, scoring around seven percent in Saxony and falling to six percent in Thuringia. —Mahnoor Khan, Fortune Europe, 2 Sep. 2024

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 1

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