Feeble
/ˈfiː.bəl/noun
Lacking physical strength, especially as a result of age or illness.
Did you know?The word 'feeble' shares a lineage with ancient terms that evoke a sense of frailty and decay, linking it to the concept of 'sickness' in early languages.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*dheigh-
“to set in motion, to cause to grow, implying a sense of vitality.”
Latin
Latin
flebilis
“lamentable, mournful, relating to weeping or weakness.”
Old French
Old French
feeble
“weak, frail, lacking in strength.”
Middle English
Middle English
feeble
“lacking physical strength, weak.”
Modern English
English
feeble
“describing weakness or inefficacy in various contexts.”