WEAK-KNEED Synonyms: 68 Similar and Opposite Words

weak-kneed

adjective

ˈwēk-ˈnēd

Definition of weak-kneed

as in weak

lacking strength of will or character management is too weak-kneed to effectively enforce even a minimal dress code

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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 weak-kneed These included Capra’s weak-kneed response to the anti-Communist crusade that roiled mid-20th-century Hollywood and his occasional failure to adequately credit his collaborators. — Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026 That NextEra could rack up a string of scandals and still extract multi-billion-dollar rate hikes for FPL stems directly from weak-kneed, inept oversight by the Florida Public Service Commission. — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 30 May 2026 But after stumbling, skier after skier tightened their boots, collected loose skis, and proceeded to do tricks that those of us at the bottom feel weak-kneed to even watch. — Story Hinckley, Christian Science Monitor, 10 Feb. 2026 Being healthy was culturally coded as being a weak-kneed liberal elite. — Matt Lewis, Washington Post, 14 Jan. 2026 And that’s been a problem — well, at least for discerning, weak-kneed cosmopolitan viewers like me. — Stephen Rodrick, Rolling Stone, 9 Mar. 2025 Thankfully, the City Council, not our weak-kneed mayor, has the last say. — Peter L. Markowitz, New York Daily News, 22 Jan. 2025 Sadly, Pope Paul VI, who succeeded John XIII, was weak-kneed, while John Paul II and Benedict XVI were conservative revanchists. — R. R. Reno, Foreign Affairs, 13 Nov. 2018

Recent Examples of Synonyms for weak-kneed

Adjective

The age-old advice of keeping your passwords secure and being wary of suspicious emails is more important than ever as hackers gain more sophisticated tools and use AI to find more of the internet’s weak points.

— Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2026
Analysts expect profits and assets to cover the dividend through weaker timber periods.

— Sebastien Chasse, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of weak

Adjective

Less than a month after acquiring McCarthy in a trade with the Minnesota Vikings, the Giants are turning to the 23-year-old quarterback to try to lead them to the playoffs in a weakened NFC East.

— Ryan Canfield OutKick, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2026
Most enamel-repair products rely on remineralization, which puts minerals back into weakened enamel using ingredients like fluoride, calcium, phosphate or hydroxyapatite.

— Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of weakened

Adjective

Writing diaristic, country-leaning soft-rock, Stiltz also touches on the work of David Berman and Bill Callahan.

— Harry Thorfinn-George, Pitchfork, 22 Oct. 2026
The carbon covers the grip, the thumb rest, and the soft-release button, the spots a photographer touches most.

— Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of soft

Browse Nearby Words

weakhearted

weak-kneed

weakliness

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Style

“Weak-kneed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/weak-kneed. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of weak-kneed

adjective

Example Sentences

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