Synonyms of feeble

feeble 1 of 2

adjective

ˈfē-bəl 

as in weak

lacking bodily strength

feeble members of the congregation are not expected to stand or kneel during services

Synonyms & Similar Words

• weak
• weakened
• frail
• faint
• enfeebled
• disabled
• infirm
• wimpy
• debilitated
• slight
• unsubstantial
• paralyzed
• tired
• languid
• soft
• softened
• asthenic
• exhausted
• wasted
• vulnerable
• low
• effete
• prostrate
• wimpish
• delicate
• enervated
• tender
• injured
• incapacitated
• down-and-out
• fragile
• weary
• sapped
• prostrated
• invalid
• unsteady
• impotent
• powerless
• decrepit
• flimsy
• drained
• dizzy
• damaged
• susceptible
• impaired
• rocky
• hurt
• groggy
• woozy
• breakable
• broken-down
• unsound
• resistless
• flagging
• yielding
• worn-out
• unresistant
• harmed

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• strong
• powerful
• mighty
• stout
• muscular
• rugged
• stalwart
• virile
• robust
• athletic
• hard
• sinewy
• beefy
• sturdy
• hardy
• tough
• brawny
• lusty
• husky
• fit
• vigorous
• able-bodied
• hardened
• strengthened
• energetic
• fortified
• sound
• healthy
• capable
• competent
• strapping
• energized
• hale
• toughened
• red-blooded
• inured
• vitalized
• invigorated
• recovering
• convalescing
• recuperating

feebleness

2 of 2

noun

as in weakness

the quality or state of lacking physical strength or vigor

the patient felt a lingering feebleness in the weeks following her heart surgery

Synonyms & Similar Words

• weakness
• exhaustion
• fatigue
• debility
• infirmity
• faintness
• enervation
• frailty
• enfeeblement
• lowness
• fragility
• languor
• debilitation
• asthenia
• impairment
• injury
• listlessness
• decay
• frailness
• languidness
• disablement
• tenderness
• wimpiness
• decrepitude
• breakdown
• impotence
• delicacy
• damage
• helplessness
• weariness
• prostration
• collapse
• powerlessness
• lassitude
• softness
• invalidism
• harm
• defenselessness
• impuissance
• incapacitation
• hurt
• effeteness

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• strength
• vigor
• robustness
• hardihood
• hardiness
• vitality
• energy
• virility
• fitness
• muscularity
• hardness
• huskiness
• toughness
• health
• stoutness
• sturdiness
• ruggedness
• soundness
• lustiness
• brawniness
• heftiness
• wellness
• healthiness

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective feeble contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of feeble are decrepit, fragile, frail, infirm, and weak. While all these words mean "not strong enough to endure strain, pressure, or strenuous effort," feeble suggests extreme weakness inviting pity or contempt.

a feeble attempt to walk

When might decrepit be a better fit than feeble?

While the synonyms decrepit and feeble are close in meaning, decrepit implies being worn-out or broken-down from long use or old age.

the dowager's decrepit retainers

When would fragile be a good substitute for feeble?

The words fragile and feeble are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, fragile suggests frailty and brittleness unable to resist rough usage.

a reclusive poet too fragile for the rigors of this world

When is it sensible to use frail instead of feeble?

While in some cases nearly identical to feeble, frail implies delicacy and slightness of constitution or structure.

a frail teenager unable to enjoy sports

When can infirm be used instead of feeble?

Although the words infirm and feeble have much in common, infirm suggests instability, unsoundness, and insecurity due to old age or crippling illness.

infirm residents requiring constant care

In what contexts can weak take the place of feeble?

The synonyms weak and feeble are sometimes interchangeable, but weak applies to deficiency or inferiority in strength or power of any sort.

felt weak after the surgery

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of feeble

Adjective

Lydia Romero strained to hear her husband’s feeble voice through the phone. —Claudia Boyd-Barrett, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026

That said, international filmmaking is in feeble shape, partly because of the jambalaya of international co-productions, partly because of the inroads of television aesthetics, and partly because of the cloistered aestheticism of self-conscious art-house cinema. —Richard Brody, New Yorker, 22 Jan. 2026

Noun

Signs of disease include warts on legs, crusty or swollen eyes, feebleness, a ruffled appearance, difficulty breathing, nasal discharge, and diarrhea. —Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 5 Mar. 2026

When hair endures damage from styling treatments, color, or heat, the hair’s keratin composition can be compromised, leading to feebleness and a greater risk of breakage. —Sophie Wirt, InStyle, 26 Feb. 2026