weak sister

noun

: a member of a group who needs aid

also : something weak and ineffective as compared with others in a group

Example Sentences

The company is no longer a weak sister among auto producers.

Recent Examples on the Web

In Seven Days in May, the president is clearly a weak sister who does not trust the military, and vice versa. —Mackubin Thomas Owens, National Review, 10 Aug. 2021

After the Civil War and the advent of metallic cartridges, the Navy was often converted to use the .38 Short Colt cartridge, which was a similarly weak sister. —David E. Petzal, Field & Stream, 10 June 2020

Remember, retinol is the weaker sister to the prescription-grade retinoids, and the prescription-grade retinoids are the ones that are clinically proven to show the best results on skin. —Michele Corriston, PEOPLE.com, 8 July 2019

Word History

First Known Use

1857, in the meaning defined above