Meek
/miːk/noun
Humbly patient, gentle, and not aggressive or assertive.
Did you know?The word is ultimately tied to an old Germanic root meaning “soft” or “gentle,” and in Old English it could describe both a mild person and a creature that was tame or subdued.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*mukaz
“soft, gentle, mild”
Old English
OE
mēoc
“soft, gentle, meek”
Old English
OE
mēk
“gentle, mild”
Middle English
ME
meke
“gentle, humble, submissive”
Modern English
English
meek
“humble, patient, and unassertive”