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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Precious metals and mining stocks were weak across both markets.—
Brendan Ahern,
Forbes.com,
9 July 2025
-
But Democrats see Earle-Sears as a far weaker candidate than Youngkin, operating a worse environment for the GOP.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
8 July 2025
Adjective
-
Queen Camilla styled an Anna Valentine emerald green midi dress with three-quarter-length sleeves, a rounded neckline and slightly flared skirt with soft pleats.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
8 July 2025
-
Traditional training often splits hard and soft skills into separate categories.—
Bernard Marr,
Forbes.com,
8 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Weak-kneed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/weak-kneed. Accessed 14 Jul. 2025.
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