as in fragile
chronically or repeatedly suffering from poor health
a weakly baby who required repeated hospitalizations
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in feebly
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
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
Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2026
But Rodríguez struck out Olson on a check swing, and Austin Riley weakly rolled a change-up to shortstop to end the threat.
—Chad Bishop, AJC.com, 4 Apr. 2026
Silseth threw him one pitch, and Alvarez grounded weakly to second.
—Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 26 Mar. 2026
There were sketches that ran too long, or ended weakly, but were generally redeemed by a young(ish), confident 11-member cast that made the most of them.
—Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 23 Mar. 2026
The system is set up to detect what are called light dark matter particles, which interact so weakly with regular matter that other methods of detecting them have failed.
—Adam Harrington, CBS News, 17 Mar. 2026
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
Adverb
Because Anna and Matteo were never actually together, her clear attraction with Michael doesn’t face any meaningful obstacles, aside from some obligatory (and weakly justified) initial sniping between the two leads.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2026
But Rodríguez struck out Olson on a check swing, and Austin Riley weakly rolled a change-up to shortstop to end the threat.
—Chad Bishop, AJC.com, 4 Apr. 2026
Silseth threw him one pitch, and Alvarez grounded weakly to second.
—Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 26 Mar. 2026
There were sketches that ran too long, or ended weakly, but were generally redeemed by a young(ish), confident 11-member cast that made the most of them.
—Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 23 Mar. 2026
The system is set up to detect what are called light dark matter particles, which interact so weakly with regular matter that other methods of detecting them have failed.
—Adam Harrington, CBS News, 17 Mar. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for weakly
Adjective
-
These conditions have fueled widespread reports of labor exploitation, environmental damage and violent disputes over territory, while mercury contamination from gold extraction has posed serious risks to indigenous communities and fragile ecosystems.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Installations create striking contrasts between fragile glass and living plants, a hallmark of Chihuly’s large-scale outdoor works.—
Ginger Crichton,
Midwest Living,
30 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Infantino, as Henry Bushnell writes, talked rather feebly about working together and, randomly, said an upcoming under-15 tournament for all member associations was something to encourage co-operation.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
-
Heathcliff’s racial ambiguity — so central to the novel’s violence and otherness — is feebly erased.—
Ana Gutierrez,
Austin American Statesman,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Based on the popular 1960s spy sitcom, this weak adaptation casts Steve Carell as a bumbling secret agent, with Hathaway as his more competent partner and developing love interest.—
Chris Feil,
Vulture,
1 May 2026
-
In particular, researchers experimentally demonstrated quadsqueezing, a complex fourth-order quantum interaction previously considered too weak to observe.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
1 May 2026
Adverb
-
Instead, thanks to the sugar, eggs, and butter in the mix, vinegar pie is sweet, silky, subtly fruity, and faintly tangy; on the tartness level akin to cheesecake.—
Karla Walsh,
Southern Living,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Gasly seems faintly bewildered by the designation.—
Maxwell Adler,
Vanity Fair,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Exceptions will be made for people who are too medically frail to work or in addiction treatment programs, among others.—
Geoff Mulvihill,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Exceptions will be made for people who are too medically frail to work or in addiction treatment programs, among others.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Even with its unnecessary detours, Singing reaches this wild reverie in the end—a voice reclaimed to report, softly, from the fathomless depths of the human experience.—
Linnie Greene,
Pitchfork,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Sylvia, my copilot, snores softly.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The dominant color is a sickly blue, tinged with greens and purples.—
Dan Stahl,
New Yorker,
1 May 2026
-
There’s a painterly look to the image, rather than the typical slop-style sickly sheen, but the AI origins are still unmistakable.—
Cath Virginia,
The Verge,
11 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Place the dough in a 9-inch pie pan, pressing it gently into the corners.—
Carole Kotkin,
Miami Herald,
6 May 2026
-
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,
6 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Weakly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/weakly. Accessed 7 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
