WEAKLY Synonyms: 96 Similar and Opposite Words

weakly 1 of 2

adjective

ˈwē-klē

Definition of weakly

as in fragile

chronically or repeatedly suffering from poor health a weakly baby who required repeated hospitalizations

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

weakly

2 of 2

adverb

as in feebly

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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 weakly

Adverb

Virtually all of the thorium is the isotope thorium-232, which is only weakly radioactive. — Glenn Zorpette, IEEE Spectrum, 15 Oct. 2026 The Angels bunted him into scoring position, but Meckler struck out and Trout grounded out weakly. — Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 30 Aug. 2026 Led by Arne Güllich, researchers analyzed the developmental histories of 35,000 world-class adults, including Nobel laureates and Olympians, finding early excellence is weakly linked to adult achievement. — Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026 Native traditions have repeatedly been acknowledged in principle – named, counted, formally recognized – but weakly protected in practice. — Kerri J. Malloy, The Conversation, 9 July 2026 Molecular design matters Unlike conventional porous carbon materials that interact weakly with polysulfides, covalent organic frameworks can be engineered with precise pore structures and chemical functionalities. — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 3 July 2026 The surface of the bacterial cell contains many chemical structures that can weakly attract and hold onto nanoplastics. — Stephanie Brown, Verywell Health, 9 June 2026 After a long at-bat, Cholowsky weakly popped out to first base. — Aaron Heisen, Daily News, 29 May 2026 There will be disappointment about Mateta’s goal — Wharton should have been closed down quicker, and Batalla should not have parried the ball so weakly. — Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 27 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for weakly

Adjective

Dating back to 1898, the book is now a fragile specimen, protected in a clear plastic box that still allows for viewing.

— Patricia Babcock McGraw OutKick, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
The worst of El Niño is still months away, but Southern California’s fragile coastline is already being transformed by record-setting king tides and storm surges.

— Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC news, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of fragile

Adverb

The prime minister has feebly tried to make his own reels in response, but that failed to stem the tide of public irreverence.

— Pratap Bhanu Mehta, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2026
Chief swam feebly across, joined the other two horses on the bank, and stood there shaking.

— Dolores Brown, Outdoor Life, 17 June 2026

Definition of feebly

Adverb

This is a subject far older than this Lean-In-era epiphany, yet New Stanford stops short at gesturing faintly in the direction of conversations that could theoretically be had.

— Judy Berman, Time, 21 Oct. 2026
For a generation of children only faintly aware of Led Zeppelin, but intimately aware of every second of Wayne’s World thanks to countless repeat viewings, this was extraordinarily confusing.

— Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of faintly

Adjective

An individualized exercise and diet program can improve their chances of survival while on the waiting list, a study published Wednesday in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology found, with the frailest patients often benefiting the most.

— Elizabeth Cooney, STAT, 22 Oct. 2026
In the novels, Violet is described as a small, frail cadet with dark black hair subtly streaked with silver who requires significantly more dragon-riding practice and precision than her peers.

— Isabelle Farina, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of frail

Adverb

The Tesla soon launched itself from its position beneath the ramp's nearly horizontal ledge, executed a barrel roll in midair, and landed softly, all thanks to its SpaceX cold-gas thrusters.

— Mike Wall, Space.com, 16 Oct. 2026
His solo debut, Heavy Metal, landed softly in the December hinterlands of 2024, and with it a murmuration of these little fibs.

— Walden Green, Pitchfork, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of softly

Adjective

To cure his sickly daughter, the biotechnologist Raúl finds the cure… inside Lidia (Cindy Galán), her nanny.

— Annika Pham, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
The sickly scent of alcohol filled the air and, when mixed with accompanying cigar smoke, combined for an odor most might find displeasing.

— Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of sickly

Adverb

On dry hair, use it to gently massage the scalp or detangle lengths to prevent pulling or breakage when the hair is at its most fragile (when wet).

— Laura Sandroni, Vogue, 16 Oct. 2026
Wipe and gently buff your stainless steel fridge in the direction of the grain for a clean, polished finish.

— Asia London Palomba, The Spruce, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of gently

Browse Nearby Words

weaklings

weakly

weak-minded

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“Weakly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/weakly. Accessed 23 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of weakly

adjective

adverb

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