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Infirm vs Imbecile - What's the difference?

infirm | imbecile | Synonyms |

As adjectives the difference between infirm and imbecile

is that infirm is weak or ill, not in good health while imbecile is destitute of strength, whether of body or mind; feeble; impotent; especially, mentally weak.

As a verb infirm

is to contradict, to provide proof that something is not.

As a noun imbecile is

a person with limited mental capacity who can perform tasks and think only like a young child, in medical circles meaning a person who lacks the capacity to develop beyond the mental age of a normal five to seven-year-old child.

infirm

English

Adjective

(er)
  • Weak or ill, not in good health.
    • He was infirm of body but still keen of mind, and though it looked like he couldn't walk across the room, he crushed me in debate.
  • * Shakespeare
    • A poor, infirm , weak, and despised old man.
  • Irresolute; weak of mind or will.
  • * Burke
    • An infirm judgment.
  • * Shakespeare
    • Infirm of purpose!
  • Fail; unstable; insecure.
  • * South
    • He who fixes on false principles treads on infirm ground.

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To contradict, to provide proof that something is not.
    • The thought is that you see an episode of observation, experiment, or reasoning as confirming or infirming a hypothesis depending on whether your probability for it increases or decreases during the episode.

    Antonyms

    * (l)

    imbecile

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (obsolete) A person with limited (l) (l) who can perform (l) and think only like a young child, in medical circles meaning a person who lacks the capacity to develop beyond the mental age of a normal five to seven-year-old child.
  • (pejorative) A .

    • Usage notes

    * In modern times, “imbecile” is often used in (l) (l).

    Synonyms

    * See also

    Derived terms

    * imbecilic (adjective) * imbecility (noun)

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • (dated) Destitute of strength, whether of body or mind; feeble; impotent; especially, mentally weak.
    • hospitals for the imbecile and insane