English → Latin
“weak” in Latin
īnfirmusweak, feeble; unhealthy, infirm, indisposed, sick; inconclusiveinvalidusinfirm, impotent, weak, feebleimbēcillusweak, feeble; cowardlydēbilisweak, frail, feeble; lame, disabled, crippled, infirm, debilitatedtenuisthin, slender, slim, lank; especially; fine, rare, thin; pure, clear, not coarse; weak, feeble, tenuousgracilisslender, slim, thin; meager, scanty, lean; unadorned, simplecōnficiōto prepare, accomplish, complete, execute; settle, close a bargain; traverse; to produce, cause, bring about, effect, sefrangōto break, shatter; to break, shatter (a promise, a treaty, someone's ideas (dreams, projects), someone's spirit); to breēnervōto remove the nerves and sinews; to enervate, weaken; to make effeminateeffētusexhausted, worn out
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
weak
In 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).
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for weak?
- The usual Latin words for “weak” are īnfirmus, invalidus, imbēcillus; also dēbilis, tenuis, gracilis. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.