Weak: not strong

The idea

A person may feel weak, a shelf may be too weak to support weight, and a signal or light can be weak. Compare with weaker than.

Examples

• My legs feel weak after the long walk.
• The old shelf is too weak for these books.
• The signal is weak in this room.
• Her voice sounded weak on the phone.
• This explanation is weaker than the first one.
• A weak light came through the curtain.

Watch out

A weak voice or signal concerns intensity; the sentence alone does not establish a medical cause.

Try it yourself

1. Choose the adjective for insufficient strength. The shelf cannot safely hold the books: it is too ___. (weak / strong)

   Show answer or example answer

   weak

   The shelf cannot support the weight securely.

2. Choose the comparative form. This explanation is ___ than the first one. (weaker / weak)

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   weaker

   Weaker than compares the strength of two explanations.

3. Identify the meaning of a weak signal. A weak signal has ___. (low strength / a known cause)

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   low strength

   A weak signal has low strength, not necessarily a known cause.

Use it today

Describe something weak and explain what kind of strength or intensity you mean.