weak

1、weak 的本义是"能掰弯"：一掰就弯就是没力气。反义词 strong（强壮的）；近义辨析 fragile（易碎的）偏物、feeble（衰弱得没劲）偏人。
2、读音提醒：weak 里的 ea 念长音 /iː/，和 week（星期、周）读得完全一样，都是 /wiːk/，全看开头写法区分；也别和 wick（灯芯）看混。
3、搭配：a weak point（弱点）、be weak in/on sth（某方面不行）；它的反义动词变化是 weaken（使变弱），名词 weakness。

weak 瘦弱

来自PIE*weik,弯，转，词源同week,wench.引申义柔软的，没有力量的，瘦弱的。

weak

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.

1. His hands were too weak to cock his revolver.

他的手没劲儿，扳不动左轮手枪的扳机。

2. Matt is weak and dependent, but you love him all the same.

马特软弱无能且依赖性强，但我们照样爱他。

3. Despite some artful editing, the anthology is a weak one.

除了编辑上的一些巧妙之处，这本选集乏善可陈。

4. Strong winds can turn boats when the tide is weak.

潮水小的时候强风可以让船只改变航向。

5. The survey claims loan companies prey on weak families already in debt.

这项调查声称信贷公司专对那些已经负债的弱势家庭下手。

【fragile, weak, frail, feeble】
这组词都有“虚弱的，乏力的”的意思，其区别是：
fragile: 可与frail换用，但语气强，侧重脆弱，指人容易生病，指物容易破碎。
weak: 普通用词，指缺乏应有的力量，可用于身体、意志或精神。
frail: 多指因经常生病而身体纤弱。
feeble: 指身体衰弱无力，精力几乎耗尽，含令人怜悯的意味。

【faint, fragile, weak, feeble】
faint: a.虚弱的，眩晕的，指人在特定场合感觉到的虚弱，通常不是天生体质上的虚弱而是由于某种原因造成的暂时的情况。
• The summer sun was so strong that she felt faint. 夏天的阳光太强烈了，她感觉到眩晕。
fragile: a.脆弱的，易碎的，指物体容易打碎，或人体质虚弱、容易受伤害。
• That dish is fragile, so be careful. 那个盘子容易碎，所以千万小心。
weak: a.这组词中应用范围最广的一个，既可以指身体虚弱的，无力的，也可引申为在力量、权力、技能、影响等方面有欠缺或软弱。
• The patient is losing blood and becoming weak. 病人在失血，身体开始虚弱下去。
feeble: a.虚弱的，无力的，常用来形容人的声音或行为。
• The elderly lady has become feeble and unable to care herself. 这个老太太已经很虚弱了，无法照顾她自己。