as in weak
lacking strength of will or character
management is too weak-kneed to effectively enforce even a minimal dress code
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Recent Examples of weak-kneed
And that’s been a problem — well, at least for discerning, weak-kneed cosmopolitan viewers like me.
—
Stephen Rodrick, Rolling Stone, 9 Mar. 2025
Thankfully, the City Council, not our weak-kneed mayor, has the last say.
—Peter L. Markowitz, New York Daily News, 22 Jan. 2025
Sadly, Pope Paul VI, who succeeded John XIII, was weak-kneed, while John Paul II and Benedict XVI were conservative revanchists.
—R. R. Reno, Foreign Affairs, 13 Nov. 2018
Someone who, when in command, commands — and isn’t a weak-kneed politician.
—Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 May 2024
Her yes left her weak-kneed in a more swoony kind of way.
—Tammy Lagorce, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2024
Ohtani has the most weak-kneed and worthless advisors in the history of advisors.
—Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024
And yet for three years, as the Assad regime repressed protests and Syria’s uprising morphed into a civil war, the United States has taken a curiously weak-kneed approach to justice and accountability in the conflict.
—David Kaye, Foreign Affairs, 23 Jan. 2014
DeSantis increasingly looks like an amalgam of Trump’s last GOP rivals for the presidency, particularly the sweaty Marco Rubio and the oily Ted Cruz: too conventional and weak-kneed to punch back when they’re bullied.
—Alex Shephard, The New Republic, 23 Mar. 2023
Stephen Rodrick, Rolling Stone, 9 Mar. 2025
Thankfully, the City Council, not our weak-kneed mayor, has the last say.
—Peter L. Markowitz, New York Daily News, 22 Jan. 2025
Sadly, Pope Paul VI, who succeeded John XIII, was weak-kneed, while John Paul II and Benedict XVI were conservative revanchists.
—R. R. Reno, Foreign Affairs, 13 Nov. 2018
Someone who, when in command, commands — and isn’t a weak-kneed politician.
—Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 May 2024
Her yes left her weak-kneed in a more swoony kind of way.
—Tammy Lagorce, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2024
Ohtani has the most weak-kneed and worthless advisors in the history of advisors.
—Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024
And yet for three years, as the Assad regime repressed protests and Syria’s uprising morphed into a civil war, the United States has taken a curiously weak-kneed approach to justice and accountability in the conflict.
—David Kaye, Foreign Affairs, 23 Jan. 2014
DeSantis increasingly looks like an amalgam of Trump’s last GOP rivals for the presidency, particularly the sweaty Marco Rubio and the oily Ted Cruz: too conventional and weak-kneed to punch back when they’re bullied.
—Alex Shephard, The New Republic, 23 Mar. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for weak-kneed
Adjective
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And while the unemployment rate remains low, hiring has been weak, leaving those without jobs struggling to find new work.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
27 June 2025
-
Total textile and apparel exports declined from $44.4 billion in fiscal year 2022 to $35.8 billion in fiscal year 2024 (ending March 31), due to weak global demand and elevated production costs.—
Mayu Saini,
Sourcing Journal,
27 June 2025
Adjective
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Scroll to shop the best bond-building products for every texture—stronger and softer hair ahead!—
Kiana Murden,
Vogue,
26 June 2025
-
Pottery Barn Airy Cotton Duvet Cover Crafted from 100 percent cotton, this 200-thread count duvet cover is breathable, low-maintenance, soft, and suitable for year-round use.—
Maggie Horton,
People.com,
26 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Weak-kneed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/weak-kneed. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.
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