weakling

play

noun weak·ling \ ˈwē-kliŋ \

Definition of weakling

:one that is weak in body, character, or mind

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weakling

adjective

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Examples of weakling in a Sentence

he had been a weakling until high school, when he started working out to put on muscle
only a weakling would be willing to lie to save himself from punishment

Recent Examples of weakling from the Web

Davies, who poked fun at himself with the nickname bestowed on him because of his boyish looks and diminutive frame, was no 155-pound weakling against the juggernaut Dodgers, who already have 91 victories.

— tom haudricourt, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Brewers 3, Dodgers 0: 'Bat Boy' Zach Davies leads the way with seven shutout innings," 26 Aug. 2017
Maxim Paster’s weakling Sinovy, Andrei Popov’s exuberant Peasant and the rest of the cast made a flawless ensemble, powerfully supported by the orchestra and chorus.

— john von rhein, chicagotribune.com, "In Salzburg, Muti's return to 'Aida' was worth the wait," 22 Aug. 2017
Just breaking a 32-year-old record in itself would help the Royals look less like the 98-pound weakling of Major League Baseball, in which no other team record-holder has hit fewer than 40.

— vahe gregorian, kansascity, "Steve Balboni ‘not sweating’ over Moustakas’ pursuit of his home-run record," 15 Aug. 2017
WASHINGTON (AP) — Is the United States the 98-pound weakling of global trade?

— paul wiseman, The Seattle Times, "Do trade deficits make the US a global weakling? Not so fast," 4 Aug. 2017
After absorbing an array of blows from powers like the Los Angeles Dodgers to weaklings like the San Diego Padres, the Cubs enter the final day of May with the sobering reality of a sub .500 record.

— mark gonzales, chicagotribune.com, "Cubs look for counter punch after 5th consecutive loss," 31 May 2017
Coming off an historically bad year and a series of miserable starts, the Twins, for one day at least, morphed from 98-pound weaklings to heroes of the beach.

— tom powers, Twin Cities, "Tom Powers: Twins finally have an opener to remember," 3 Apr. 2017
My little weakling account (@rjallain) just has over 500 followers (notice no K).

— rhett allain, WIRED, "How Can you Model Twitter Traffic?," 17 May 2011

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'weakling.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.