weak: [13] Etymologically, something that is weak is ‘bendable’. The word was borrowed from Old Norse veikr. This was descended from prehistoric Germanic *waikwaz, which also produced German weich and Dutch week ‘soft’. And this in turn was formed from *waikw-, *wikw- ‘give way, yield’, a derivative of the base *wik- ‘bend’, which also produced the witch of English witch hazel [16] (etymologically the hazel with ‘bendy’ branches) and possibly English week.
weak (adj.)
c. 1300, from Old Norse veikr "weak," cognate with Old English wac "weak, pliant, soft," from Proto-Germanic *waikwa- "yield" (cognates: Old Saxon wek, Swedish vek, Middle Dutch weec, Dutch week "weak, soft, tender," Old High German weih "yielding, soft," German weich "soft"), from PIE root *weik- (4) "to bend, wind" (see vicarious).
Sense of "lacking authority" is first recorded early 15c.; that of "lacking moral strength" late 14c. In grammar, denoting a verb inflected by regular syllabic addition rather than by change of the radical vowel, from 1833. Related: Weakly. Weak-kneed "wanting in resolve" is from 1870.
雙語例句
1. His hands were too weak to cock his revolver.
他的手沒勁兒，扳不動左輪手槍的扳機。
來自柯林斯例句
2. Matt is weak and dependent, but you love him all the same.
馬特軟弱無能且依賴性強，但我們照樣愛他。
來自柯林斯例句
3. Despite some artful editing, the anthology is a weak one.
除了編輯上的一些巧妙之處，這本選集乏善可陳。
來自柯林斯例句
4. Strong winds can turn boats when the tide is weak.
潮水小的時候強風可以讓船只改變航向。
來自柯林斯例句
5. The survey claims loan companies prey on weak families already in debt.