weakly

/ˈwiːkli/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈwiːkli/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈwē-klē/ (ame, mw)

weakly — 副詞

1. When you do something weakly, your body does not have enough strength to do it i

1.副詞B1
釋義

虛弱地

身體缺乏力氣的模樣

When you do something weakly, your body does not have enough strength to do it in the usual way — for example, speaking so quietly that others can barely hear you, or moving your arms and legs with great difficulty.

例句

Tanvi smiled weakly from her hospital bed, then closed her eyes.

Tanvi 躺在醫院的病床上虛弱地笑了笑，然後閉上了眼睛。

smiled weakly — physical frailty context

The old man pushed weakly against the heavy door, but it would not move.

那位老人無力地推著沉重的門，但門一動也不動。

同義詞
  • feebly

    suggests an even greater lack of strength; more literary or formal in tone

  • faintly

    emphasises barely perceptible quality, especially of sound or light rather than action

反義詞
  • strongly

    direct opposite in terms of physical power

  • forcefully

    implies deliberate use of strength or effort

文法句型

weakly + verb of bodily action

用法筆記

Subject is usually a person or animal recovering from illness, injury, or exhaustion. Frequently paired with verbs of voluntary physical action (smile, nod, push, raise, stand, walk).

常見錯誤

❌She weakly laughed at the joke.
✅She laughed weakly at the joke.
💡'weakly' sounds more natural after the verb when describing the manner of laughing, not before it.

2. Acting without the strength of character needed to stand by your own choices, sa

2.副詞B2
釋義

軟弱地

個性軟弱、不敢堅持己見的樣子

Acting without the strength of character needed to stand by your own choices, say no to others, or defend your position against pressure or disagreement.

例句

Gabriel weakly agreed to a plan he knew was bad, just to avoid a fight.

Gabriel 軟弱地同意了那個他明知不好的計畫，只為了避免爭吵。

weakly agreed — yielding to avoid conflict

The manager weakly gave in to every demand and lost the team's respect.

那位經理軟弱地順從了每一個要求，因而失去了團隊的尊重。

同義詞
  • spinelessly

    more negative and informal; suggests contempt for the person's lack of courage

  • timidly

    focuses on fear rather than weakness of character

反義詞
  • firmly

    shows strength of character and clear resolve

  • assertively

    implies confidently standing up for oneself

文法句型

weakly + verb of yielding/agreement

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1 (PHYSICALLY WEAK): this sense describes a person's reaction to social pressure or difficult decisions, not their physical condition. The verb is typically one of yielding or compliance (agree, give in, nod, accept, surrender).

常見錯誤

❌He weakly lifted the box.' (when meaning he gave in to pressure)
✅He weakly gave in to their demands.
💡'weakly' needs a verb that shows yielding, not physical action.

3. Done without good reasons or clear evidence, so that others are unlikely to be p

3.副詞B2
釋義

薄弱地

論點理由不充分、難以令人信服

Done without good reasons or clear evidence, so that others are unlikely to be persuaded or to believe what is said.

例句

Adisa argued weakly for his proposal, offering no real data to back it up.

Adisa 薄弱地為自己的提案辯護，沒有提出任何實質數據來支持。

weakly argued — lacking supporting evidence

Camille defended her position weakly during the debate, and few were convinced.

Camille 在辯論中薄弱地為自己的立場辯護，幾乎沒有人被說服。

同義詞
  • lamely

    more informal; often used for excuses that are transparently poor

  • feebly

    can overlap in argument contexts, though more common for physical weakness

反義詞
  • convincingly

    shows that an argument is persuasive and well-supported

  • persuasively

    highlights the ability to win others over

文法句型

weakly + verb of argument/presentation

用法筆記

Subject is typically a person presenting a case, excuse, or argument. The verb is one of explaining, defending, or presenting. Common in formal or semi-formal contexts such as debates, court cases, or business meetings.

常見錯誤

❌He weakly walked to school.' (when meaning his excuse was weak)
✅He weakly explained why he was late.
💡only use this sense with verbs of speaking or presenting, not physical movement.

weakly — 形容詞