weak Copy link Outline 1. infirmus (opp. to firmus, validus, fortis; w. in body, mind, or resources; used both of persons and of things)2. dēbĭlis, e (unready, useless, w. from defects)3. imbĕcillus (inwardly and essentially w.)4. invălĭdus (having but little strength5. languĭdus (faint, sluggish; it describes the effect of weakness)6. confectus (made w., by weariness, etc.)7. fractus (broken)8. ēnervātus (nerveless, utterly w.)9. aeger, ra, rum (poetical; feeble as with disease)10. lĕvis, e (w. where weight implies strength)11. tĕnuis, e (thin, and so fig. slender, w.)12. exīlis, e (thin)13. exĭguus (scanty, w., where number or fulness makes strength)14. hĕbes, ĕtis (w. where keenness is strength) • weak: 1. infirmus (opp. to firmus, validus, fortis; w. in body, mind, or resources; used both of persons and of things): I am very w., sum admodum infirmus, Cic. Acad. 1, 4, 14: w. health, infirma valetudo, id. Brut. 48, 180: a feeble and w. mind, tenuis atque i. animus, Caes. B. C. 1, 32: a w. state, i. civitas, Caes. B. G. 7, 17: w. securities, i. cautiones, Cic. Fam. 7, 18, 1. 2. dēbĭlis, e (unready, useless, w. from defects): were you to give a sword to a helpless or w. old man, si gladium imbecillo seni aut debili dederis, Cic. Sest. 10, 24: one is w. in the shoulder, one in the loins, one in the hip, ille humero, hic lumbis, hic coxa debilis, Juv. 10, 227: who would be so w. in this part of his mind? qui hac parte animi tam debilis esset? Cic. Brut. 61, 219: a praetorship disabled and w., manca et debilis praetura, id. Mil. 9, 25. 3. imbĕcillus (inwardly and essentially w.): a w. man is torn to pieces by a strong beast, homo imbecillus a valentissima bestia laniatur, Cic. Fam. 7, 1, 3: the medicine is weaker than the disease, imbecillior est medicina quam morbus, Cic. Att. 10, 14, 2: a w. mind, i. animus, id. Div. 2, 60, 125. 4. invălĭdus (having but little strength: opp. to validus, robustus): Camillus now through old age w. for bodily service, Camillus jam ad munera corporis senecta invalidus, Liv. 6, 8: walls w. against assailants, moenia adversus irrumpentes invalida, Tac. A. 12, 16. 5. languĭdus (faint, sluggish; it describes the effect of weakness): w. with wine and wakeful orgies, vino vigiliisque languidus, Cic. Verr. 3, 12, 31: a w. stream, l. aqua, Liv. 1, 4: a w. and enervated philosopher, l. et enervatus philosophus, Cic. de Or. 1, 52, 226. 6. confectus (made w., by weariness, etc.): wearied and w., fessi confectique, Liv. 1, 23, fin. 7. fractus (broken): our age now is so w., jamque adeo fracta est aetas, Lucr. 2, 1151: what is so w., so petty? quid est tam fractum, tam minutum? Cic. Brut. 83, 287. 8. ēnervātus (nerveless, utterly w.): w. men, homines enervati, Cic. Sest. 10, 24: a w. and womanish opinion, enervata muliebrisque sententia, id. Tusc. 2, 6, 15: a soft and w. philosophy, mollis et e. ratio, ib. 4, 17, 38. 9. aeger, ra, rum (poetical; feeble as with disease): w. mortals, mortales aegri, Virg. Aen. 2, 268: you prolong w. hopes (hopes that have no healthy strength and must fall), spes extenditis aegras, Sil. 9, 543. 10. lĕvis, e (w. where weight implies strength): you seek other (arguments) worthless and w., alia quaedam inania et levia conquiris, Cic. Planc. 26, 63: a thing that is w. and of no validity, quod leve et infirmum est, id. Rosc. Com. 2, 6. 11. tĕnuis, e (thin, and so fig. slender, w.): a w. constitution, tenuis valetudo, id. de Sen. 11, 35: a vain and w. hope, inanis et tenuis spes, id. Rosc. Com. 14, 43. 12. exīlis, e (thin): a w. voice, exilis vox, Quint. 11, 3, 15. 13. exĭguus (scanty, w., where number or fulness makes strength): w. forces, exiguae copiae, Caes. B. C. 2, 39: a strong or w. voice, vox grandis aut exigua, Quint. 11, 3, 15. 14. hĕbes, ĕtis (w. where keenness is strength): both eyes being naturally w., utroque oculo natura hebete, Plin. 9, 15, 20: the senses they thought w. and slow, sensus hebetes et tardos arbitrabantur, Cic. Acad. 1, 8, 31. Phr.: weaker in ships, inferior navibus, Caes. B. C. 1, 57: the weaker in the long contest, minor in certamine longo, Hor. Ep. 1, 10, 35: to be w.: languere, parum valere: to grow w., deficere (to fail): to attack any one's w. side, *nudum latus invadere: in his letters he attacks his sister and his mother on their w. side, epistolis et sororis et matris imbecillitatem aucupatur, Cic. Flacc. 37, 92.
WEAK Copy link • WEAKIn body, infirmus (not strong, physically; opposed to firmus, validus, fortis): invalidus (having but little strength; opposed to validus, robustus): imbecillus (suffering from want of inward strength, no longer strong; opposed to valens, validus. ☞ The form imbecillis is not in Cic. or earlier writers, but came into use afterward): debilis (useless on account of defects or infirmities, wanting entireness or completeness; opposed to firmus, integer corpore): tenuis, gracilis (thin, and so not strong; e.g., tabella, virga, filum): confectus: fractus: enervatus: effetus: languidus (broken up, exhausted, deprived of bodily powers): weak health, valetudo infirma, imbecilla, tenuis: a weak body, corpus infirmum, affectum, effetum: to be weak, parum habere virium; infirmo esse corpore: a weak stomach, stomachus infirmus, imbecillus (Cels.): weak sight, oculi hebetes (opposed to acres, acuti, Suet.); visus infirmior (Quint.): to have weak sight, minus valere, parum valere, visu: weak eyes, oculorum morbus, valetudo oculorum (weakness of eyes): malum oculorum (a disease of the eyes): to have weak eyes, aegrum esse oculis. In mind or disposition, imbecillus: affectus: confectus: enervatus: fractus: hebes: a weak intellect, animus imbecillus (opposed to robustus, Cic.), infirmus (Caes.); ingenium imbecillum, hebes, tardum; ingenii imbecillitas (Plin., Ep.): a weak memory, memoria hebes (Cic.), tardior (Quint.), vacillans, parum tenax (Cic.): one’s weak side, infirmitas: imbecillitas: facilitas: levitas: vitium. To attack one on his weak side, aucupari alicujus imbecillitatem (Cic., Flacc., 37, 92). In number or extent, exiguus: infirmus (e.g., exigua manus, exiguae copiae, infirma auxilia): weaker in troops, in ships, inferior copiis (Nep.), numero navium (Caes.): a weak post, statio invalida (Liv.): a weak legion, legio invalida (Tac.). Figuratively. Of things without life, infirmus: imbecillus (e.g., respublica infirma, regnum imbecillum): weak hope, spes tenuis, exigua: a weak voice, vox exilis (Plin.), imbecilla (Quint.), parva (Cic.): weak wine, vinum imbecillum, leve (Plin.), infirmi saporis (Col.): a weak argument, argumentum infirmum, leve (Cic.): weak colors, colores languentes, tenues, inertes: a weak pulse, imbecilli venarum pulsus (Cels., 3, 19): a weak medicine, imbecillior medicina (Cic., Att., 10, 14, 2).