weak-kneed

adjective

ˈwēk-ˈnēd How to pronounce weak-kneed (audio)
Synonyms of weak-kneednext
: lacking willpower or resolution

Synonyms

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Examples of weak-kneed in a Sentence

management is too weak-kneed to effectively enforce even a minimal dress code
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
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

Word History

First Known Use

1766, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of weak-kneed was in 1766

Rhymes for weak-kneed

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weak-kneed
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Cite this Entry

“Weak-kneed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/weak-kneed. Accessed 10 Mar. 2025.

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