weakling 1 of 2

Definition of weaklingnext

weakling

2 of 2

noun

1
as in wimp
a person lacking in physical strength he had been a weakling until high school, when he started working out to put on muscle

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in coward
a person without strength of character only a weakling would be willing to lie to save himself from punishment

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of weakling
Noun
The weaklings around Trump in the most senior positions of our government can do nothing other than agree with him. Susan B. Glasser, New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2026 He's seen as a weakling, and he must be culled from the clan. Sergio Pereira, Space.com, 4 Nov. 2025 Last year, Paramount, which owns CBS Sports, looked like a weakling compared to its competitors. Alex Sherman,contessa Brewer, CNBC, 2 Oct. 2025 Separating the weakling from the herd only heightened their fear. Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 25 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for weakling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for weakling
Adjective
  • As the story goes, attendance was weak, the weather was bad, and the tournament experience was just lacking.
    James Burky, Denver Post, 29 May 2026
  • As many as 40 states combine one-party control with institutional barriers weak enough to fall to political pressure.
    Bruce Sibley, Time, 29 May 2026
Noun
  • And this name sounds like a wimp to me.
    Kathleen Perricone, Entertainment Weekly, 22 May 2026
  • What unites these movements is a shared contempt for the moderate, who is dismissed as cowardly, unprincipled, or insincere: wimps who inexplicably hate winning.
    Nikhil Krishnan, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • And, in a way, this coward is the only sane one.
    Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 29 May 2026
  • These are American cowards that are rooting against our Country.
    Khaled Wassef, CBS News, 13 May 2026
Adjective
  • While most healthy people can recover in four to seven days without treatment, some vulnerable people, such as children under 5, adults 65 and older and those with weakened immune systems, may experience more severe illness that requires medical treatment or hospitalization.
    Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 2 June 2026
  • Rotavirus can also sicken older children and adults with weakened immune systems.
    Hali Smith June 1, Idaho Statesman, 1 June 2026
Noun
  • Henry is a megalomaniac and a complete wuss.
    Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 23 Feb. 2026
  • Of the two sisters in the yellow house, Paula is a much gentler girl, a wuss, a baby, the biggest chicken—that’s how her sister thinks of her—and Rhonda is the boss.
    Alex Mar, Rolling Stone, 25 Mar. 2023

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Cite this Entry

“Weakling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/weakling. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.

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