as in fragile
chronically or repeatedly suffering from poor health
a weakly baby who required repeated hospitalizations
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in feebly
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of weakly
Melissa Lockard, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2026
Instead, the commissioner weakly would not even commit to an investigation of Tisch at the Super Bowl.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 24 Feb. 2026
In 1946, Congress responded weakly to mounting overseas food needs.
—Peter Simons, The Conversation, 16 Jan. 2026
In 1946, Congress responded weakly to mounting overseas food needs.
—Peter Simons, Fortune, 14 Jan. 2026
They’d been poorly reviewed, sold weakly, and were generally held in low esteem except by a select few.
—Vince Passaro, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Many systems are either highly mobile but weakly connected, or strongly connected but slow to reconfigure and prone to losing mobility.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 16 Dec. 2025
The sun blasts us from the left and warm air puffs weakly from the vents.
—R29 Team, Refinery29, 19 Sep. 2025
After striking out weakly in his at-bat in the fourth, the Twins removed Jeffers from the game.
—David Brown, Twin Cities, 6 Sep. 2025
Adverb
With his team down by a run in the bottom of the ninth, Araúz pinch hit for Allen Córdoba and grounded out weakly to second base.
—Melissa Lockard, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2026
Instead, the commissioner weakly would not even commit to an investigation of Tisch at the Super Bowl.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 24 Feb. 2026
In 1946, Congress responded weakly to mounting overseas food needs.
—Peter Simons, The Conversation, 16 Jan. 2026
In 1946, Congress responded weakly to mounting overseas food needs.
—Peter Simons, Fortune, 14 Jan. 2026
They’d been poorly reviewed, sold weakly, and were generally held in low esteem except by a select few.
—Vince Passaro, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Many systems are either highly mobile but weakly connected, or strongly connected but slow to reconfigure and prone to losing mobility.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 16 Dec. 2025
The sun blasts us from the left and warm air puffs weakly from the vents.
—R29 Team, Refinery29, 19 Sep. 2025
After striking out weakly in his at-bat in the fourth, the Twins removed Jeffers from the game.
—David Brown, Twin Cities, 6 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for weakly
Adjective
-
Global art markets saw modest growth in 2025 after two years of decline — but the recovery is partial and fragile.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
12 Mar. 2026
-
That is the sign of a team that is ready to combust, which has fragile confidence.—
Jay Harris,
New York Times,
12 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Heathcliff’s racial ambiguity — so central to the novel’s violence and otherness — is feebly erased.—
Ana Gutierrez,
Austin American Statesman,
11 Feb. 2026
-
One man aboard the boat knew how to navigate the mangroves and sandbars of the keys, and with the late summer sun beating down on the rafters, the boat pushed out feebly into the open ocean.—
Miriam Pensack,
The Dial,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The United States is, to her knowledge, the only country maintaining such a ban for nearly a century via Section 307 of the 1930 Tariff Act—even in its weaker form with the domestic consumption loophole.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Sourcing Journal,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Lessons from gold and small-caps The recent spike in oil prices has not resulted in spectacular gains for gold investors fueled by a weaker dollar, as was the case in 1973.—
Joseph Wilkins,
CNBC,
13 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Instead, keep an eye out for discoloration (usually faintly gray or yellow), clumping, or mold, and be aware of any odor that doesn’t smell like flour should.—
Hannah Lee Leidy,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Just brine, warm vegetation, and the faintly mineral smell of volcanic rock baking in January sun.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
25 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
For all its public association with queerness, ballet remains largely committed to a frail, wispy femininity and a princely but muscular and explosive masculinity—with the stringent, often punishing body-shape standards to match.—
Chloe Angyal,
Time,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Over time in 2025, Chandler and Webster said Acacio had started to appear frail and thin.—
Nathaniel Percy,
Oc Register,
3 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Your 12th House of Spirituality calls softly as the Moon opposes auspicious Jupiter, encouraging you to find quiet time even as your 6th House of Work demands practical action.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Linen, for example, can further enhance this layered approach, introducing a softly rumpled texture that reinforces lived-in comfort in the form of a duvet cover or throw blanket at the foot of the bed.—
Jacorey Moon,
Architectural Digest,
12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Planting too early in the season when the soil is cool might result in a sickly plant all season long or seeds that won't germinate.—
David Beaulieu,
The Spruce,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Cupid and Psyche 85, in its sickly plastic way, is a profoundly uplifting record.—
Andy Cush,
Pitchfork,
15 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
Make sure the tires reconnect with the road - During the skid, wait until the tires reconnect with the road and then gently straighten the wheels to regain control.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Cover the seed with a very thin layer of soil, approximately 1/8 inch thick, by gently raking the area.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Weakly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/weakly. Accessed 18 Mar. 2026.
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