weaker

/wiːk/ (bre, ipa) · [wˈikɚ] /wiːk/ (ame, ipa) · [wˈikɚ] /ˈwēk How to pronounce weak (audio)/ (ame, mw)

weaker — 形容詞

  • weakerpositive
  • weakerercomparative
  • weakerestsuperlative

1. having less physical strength or power than is normal or expected, so that lifti

1.形容詞A2
釋義

虛弱的

身體缺乏力氣的

having less physical strength or power than is normal or expected, so that lifting, carrying, or moving things is difficult

例句

After her surgery, Mira felt too weak to walk up the stairs by herself.

手術後，Mira 覺得自己太虛弱，沒辦法自己走上樓梯。

too + adj + to-infinitive

The old wooden chair had a weak leg that cracked under the weight of the books.

那張舊木椅有一條腿很脆弱，放上書的重量就裂開了。

weak + noun (physical object)

同義詞
  • feeble

    more formal and suggests extreme weakness, often due to illness or age

  • frail

    emphasises thinness and fragility, especially in older people

  • powerless

    focuses on the inability to act rather than physical condition

反義詞
  • strong

    general opposite; having physical power

  • tough

    suggests durability and resistance to damage

常見錯誤

❌I feel weaked after exercise.
✅I feel weak after exercise.
💡'weak' is an adjective, not a verb; do not add -ed.

2. lacking the determination or confidence to make firm decisions or to resist pres

2.形容詞B1
釋義

軟弱的

性格上缺乏決斷力

lacking the determination or confidence to make firm decisions or to resist pressure or temptation from others

例句

The manager was too weak to stand up to the team's unreasonable demands.

那位經理太軟弱，無法反抗團隊不合理的要求。

too weak to [resist/stand up to]

A weak leader who avoids hard choices will quickly lose the respect of the group.

一個軟弱的領袖會逃避困難的決定，很快就會失去團隊的尊重。

weak + leader / character

同義詞
  • spineless

    more informal and disapproving; suggests total lack of courage

  • timid

    focuses on shyness and lack of confidence rather than moral weakness

  • indecisive

    specifically about difficulty making decisions

反義詞

用法筆記

Often paired with nouns describing willpower or resolve, such as will, character, or spirit. Common in patterns like 'weak + enough to + verb' or 'too weak to + verb'.

常見錯誤

❌He has a weak heart' (meaning indecisive).
✅He has a weak will.
💡'weak heart' refers to a medical condition, not character.

3. not supported by good reasons or clear evidence, so that other people are unlike

3.形容詞B1
釋義

站不住腳的

缺乏根據而難以令人信服

not supported by good reasons or clear evidence, so that other people are unlikely to accept or believe it

例句

His excuse for being late was so weak that nobody in the office believed it.

他遲到的藉口太站不住腳了，辦公室裡沒有人相信。

weak excuse / weak argument

The lawyer made a weak argument and the judge quickly ruled against her client.

律師提出的論點很薄弱，法官很快就判定她的當事人敗訴。

同義詞
  • unconvincing

    more formal; directly states that something fails to persuade

  • flimsy

    informal; suggests the excuse or argument is obviously poor

  • lame

    informal and slightly disapproving; used for weak excuses

反義詞

用法筆記

Typically applied to things people say or write: arguments, excuses, reasons, evidence, or explanations. Not used for people directly (compare with sense 2).

常見錯誤

❌He is weak' (meaning his argument is unconvincing).
✅His argument is weak.
💡Use weak for the idea, not the person, when talking about reasoning.

4. made with so much water that the flavour is very mild and not at all strong

4.形容詞B1
釋義

淡的

水分多、味道淡的飲料

made with so much water that the flavour is very mild and not at all strong

例句

The coffee at that café is so weak that it looks like brown water.

那家咖啡館的咖啡太淡了，看起來像棕色的水。

weak coffee / weak tea

Nikhil asked for a weaker tea because the strong caffeine kept him awake at night.

Nikhil 點了比較淡的茶，因為濃咖啡因讓他晚上睡不著。

comparative: weaker + drink

同義詞
  • watery

    more negative; suggests there is too much water, ruining the taste

  • diluted

    more neutral; can describe any liquid made thinner by adding water

  • thin

    can be used for liquids but less common for drinks

反義詞
  • strong

    having a rich or intense flavour

用法筆記

Primarily used for hot and cold drinks (tea, coffee, juice, lemonade) where the balance of water to flavouring ingredients determines the taste. Not used for food texture or solid items.

常見錯誤

❌This soup is weak' (meaning watery).
✅This soup is watery / thin.
💡'weak' is only used for drinks, not for semi-solid foods like soup or sauce.

5. not reaching the expected level of skill, ability, or quality; falling short of

5.形容詞B1
釋義

差的

能力或品質不足的

not reaching the expected level of skill, ability, or quality; falling short of what is needed or required

例句

Matthew's math skills are weak, so he goes to extra tutoring twice a week.

Matthew 的數學能力很差，所以他每週去上兩次額外的輔導課。

weak [skill/ability] — subject + be + weak

The weakest player on the team missed three easy shots during the final game.

隊上表現最差的球員在決賽中錯失了三次輕鬆進球的機會。

superlative: weakest + noun

同義詞
  • poor

    more direct and general; suggests a low standard

  • inadequate

    more formal; suggests not enough for the purpose

  • deficient

    formal; stresses that something important is missing

反義詞
  • strong

    showing good skill or high quality

  • competent

    having enough skill; adequate

用法筆記

Often precedes nouns describing academic subjects, skills, or performance areas (e.g. weak point, weak area, weak subject). Can also describe written work (essay, report, presentation).

常見錯誤

❌I am weak of English.
✅My English is weak.
💡Use possessive + noun as the subject, not 'I am weak of...'.

6. producing only a small number of ions when dissolved in water, and therefore not

6.形容詞C1
釋義

弱（酸/鹼）

在水中僅產生少量離子的

producing only a small number of ions when dissolved in water, and therefore not strongly acidic or alkaline

例句

Vinegar contains a weak acid that is safe to use in salad dressings at home.

醋含有一種弱酸，在家做沙拉醬使用是安全的。

weak acid / weak base / weak alkali

A weak base like baking soda can help neutralise the acid in your stomach.

像小蘇打這樣的弱鹼可以幫助中和胃酸。

反義詞
  • strong

    producing many ions; strongly acidic or alkaline

用法筆記

A technical term in chemistry. The opposite is 'strong' (of acids and bases). Learners at CEFR A1-B2 are unlikely to need this sense.

常見錯誤

❌A weak acid is not dangerous.
✅Some weak acids can still be dangerous
💡weakness refers to ionisation, not safety.' — The strength of an acid in chemistry does not measure how harmful it is.

7. describes a chin that is small and slopes backward instead of projecting forward

7.形容詞B2
釋義

短小的

下巴小且不突出的

describes a chin that is small and slopes backward instead of projecting forward from the face

例句

Anya has always felt self-conscious about her weak chin and avoids profile photos.

Anya 一直對自己的短下巴感到不自在，總是避免拍側面照。

collocation: weak chin

The dentist said that a weak chin can make a person snore loudly at night.

牙醫說短下巴有時會讓人晚上打鼾很大聲。

同義詞
  • receding

    more specific — describes a chin that slopes back sharply; 'weak' is a gentler, broader term

  • small

    simpler word that focuses on size rather than shape; less precise for this sense

反義詞
  • strong

    a strong chin is large, square, and projects forward

  • prominent

    describes a chin that sticks out clearly, the opposite of receding

用法筆記

Only used to describe the shape of a chin — never for other facial features or personality traits.

常見錯誤

❌She has a weak nose.
✅She has a weak chin.
💡this sense of 'weak' only applies to the chin, not other parts of the face.

8. not having enough power, control, or authority to make others obey or follow you

8.形容詞B2
釋義

弱勢的

缺乏權力或影響力的

not having enough power, control, or authority to make others obey or follow your decisions

例句

After losing the election, the mayor was too weak to push new policies forward.

落選後，即將卸任的市長太過弱勢，無法推動任何新政策。

pattern: too weak to + infinitive

Ritu felt her position was weak because no senior member backed her ideas.

Ritu 覺得自己立場弱勢，因為沒有高層成員支持她的想法。

同義詞
  • powerless

    stronger and more absolute; suggests a complete lack of ability to act

  • ineffective

    focuses on the result — failing to produce the desired effect

  • feeble

    more negative and dismissive; often used to criticise

反義詞
  • powerful

    the direct opposite — having great influence and control

  • strong

    used for leaders or institutions that command respect and obedience

用法筆記

Frequently describes governments, leaders, committees, or positions of authority. Often followed by 'on' to state the issue where power is lacking.

常見錯誤

❌The team played weak.
✅The team played poorly.
💡'weak' is an adjective; use 'poorly' or 'badly' to describe how someone performs an action.

❌ 'She felt weak in the meeting.' (ambiguous) — clarify: 'She felt her argument was weak in the meeting' or 'She felt physically weak in the meeting.'

9. not strong, clear, or noticeable in physical qualities such as brightness, sound

9.形容詞B2
釋義

微弱的

強度不足；不明顯的

not strong, clear, or noticeable in physical qualities such as brightness, sound, taste, or smell

例句

The coffee tasted weak because Brian had used only one spoonful of ground beans.

咖啡的味道很微弱，因為 Brian 只放了一匙咖啡粉。

pattern: weak-tasting [noun]

A weak signal on Dewi's phone meant she could not hear her brother calling.

Dewi 的手機訊號微弱，她聽不清弟弟的來電。

collocation: weak signal

同義詞
  • faint

    more specific to things that are barely perceptible, like a sound or smell

  • dull

    suggests a lack of brightness, sharpness, or intensity; often used for pain or colour

  • diluted

    specifically for liquids that have been thinned with water or another substance

反義詞
  • strong

    the general opposite — applies to taste, light, sound, smell, and wind

  • intense

    suggests a high degree of strength in a sensory quality

用法筆記

Describes sensory qualities — sight (light, colour), sound (voice, signal), taste (drink, food), smell (odour), or physical force (wind, current). The opposite for most uses is 'strong'.

常見錯誤

❌His voice was weak so I turned up the volume.' — confusing 'weak' with 'quiet'; a weak voice lacks force or clarity, not just volume.
✅His voice was quiet so I turned up the volume.

10. describes a currency, stock, or economy that is falling or expected to fall in v

10.形容詞C1
釋義

疲軟的

價格或價值走低的

describes a currency, stock, or economy that is falling or expected to fall in value relative to others

例句

Investors sold their shares quickly after the company released a weak quarterly report.

在公司發布疲軟的季度報告之後，投資人迅速拋售手中持股。

collocation: weak report / weak earnings

A weak yen helped Japanese car makers sell more vehicles in overseas markets.

日圓疲軟幫助日本汽車製造商在海外市場賣出更多車輛。

collocation: weak [currency name]

同義詞
  • declining

    focuses on the downward movement; more dynamic, less judgmental

  • fragile

    suggests instability and the risk of further decline

  • bearish

    specifically describes investor sentiment expecting prices to fall; more technical

反義詞
  • strong

    a strong currency or market holds or gains value

  • robust

    suggests healthy, steady growth and resistance to downturns

用法筆記

Used mainly in financial and economic contexts. Common subjects: currencies (dollar, yen, euro), markets (stock, housing, bond), economic indicators (demand, growth, recovery). Opposite is 'strong'.

常見錯誤

❌The company's profits are weak this year.
✅The company's profits are low this year.
💡'weak' describes trend, performance, or relative value, not the absolute amount of profit.
❌I felt the economy is weak.
✅The economy is weak.
💡'weak' is an adjective describing the economy itself, not a feeling about it.