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Weak vs Mettle - What's the difference?

weak | mettle |

As an adjective weak

is lacking in force (usually strength) or ability.

As a noun mettle is

a quality of endurance and courage.

weak

English

Adjective

(er)
  • Lacking in force (usually strength) or ability.
  • * Shakespeare
    • a poor, infirm, weak , and despised old man
  • * Dryden
    • weak with hunger, mad with love
  • Unable to sustain a great weight, pressure, or strain.
    • a weak''' timber; a '''weak rope
  • Unable to withstand temptation, urgency, persuasion, etc.; easily impressed, moved, or overcome; accessible; vulnerable.
    • weak''' resolutions; '''weak virtue
  • * Joseph Addison, The Fair Petinent Act I, scene I:
    • Guard thy heart / On this weak side, where most our nature fails.
  • Dilute, lacking in taste or potency.
  • *
    • , title=The Mirror and the Lamp , chapter=2 citation , passage=That the young Mr. Churchills liked—but they did not like him coming round of an evening and drinking weak whisky-and-water while he held forth on railway debentures and corporation loans. Mr. Barrett, however, by fawning and flattery, seemed to be able to make not only Mrs. Churchill but everyone else do what he desired.}}
  • (grammar) Displaying a particular kind of inflection, including:
  • # (Germanic languages, of verbs) Regular in inflection, lacking vowel changes and having a past tense with -d- or -t-.
  • # (Germanic languages, of nouns) Showing less distinct grammatical endings.
  • # (Germanic languages, of adjectives) Definite in meaning, often used with a definite article or similar word.
  • (physics) One of the four fundamental forces associated with nuclear decay.
  • (slang) Bad or uncool.
  • (mathematics, logic) Having a narrow range of logical consequences; narrowly applicable. (Often contrasted with a statement which implies it.)
  • Resulting from, or indicating, lack of judgment, discernment, or firmness; unwise; hence, foolish.
  • * Milton
    • If evil thence ensue, / She first his weak indulgence will accuse.
  • Not having power to convince; not supported by force of reason or truth; unsustained.
    • The prosecution advanced a weak case.
  • * Milton
    • convinced of his weak arguing
  • Lacking in vigour or expression.
    • a weak''' sentence; a '''weak style
  • Not prevalent or effective, or not felt to be prevalent; not potent; feeble.
  • * Shakespeare
    • weak prayers
  • (stock exchange) Tending towards lower prices.
    • a weak market

    Synonyms

    * (lacking in force or ability) feeble, frail, powerless, vincible, assailable ,vulnerable * (lacking in taste or potency) dilute, watery * See also

    Antonyms

    * (lacking in force or ability) healthy, powerful, robust, strong, invincible * (lacking in taste or potency) potent, robust, strong

    Derived terms

    * weaken * weakling * weakness * weak sister

    Anagrams

    * 1000 English basic words ----

    mettle

    English

    Noun

    (-)
  • A quality of endurance and courage.
  • * 360 BCE , , Book VIII.
    • In the succeeding generation rulers will be appointed who have lost the guardian power of testing the metal of your different races, which, like Hesiod's, are of gold and silver and brass and iron.
  • * 1599 , '', act iv, scene 8 (''First Folio ed.)
    • By this Day and this Light, the fellow ha's mettell enough in his belly.
  • * 2001 , Harry J. Alexandrowicz, Testing your Mettle: Tough Problems and Real-world Solutions for Middle and High School Teachers , page xiii
    • Please read on and discover the issues in education that test the mettle of those who experience this world every day.
  • Good temperament and character.
  • * 1868 , , Bleak House
    • The arrival of this unexpected heir soon taking wind in the court, still makes good for the Sol, and keeps the court upon its mettle .
  • (obsolete) Metal; a metallic substance.
  • * 1837 , Robert Burton, The Anatomy of Melancholy , page 78
    • They have neither gold nor silver of their own, wine nor oyl, or scarce any corn growing in those United Provinces, little or no wood, tin, lead, iron, silk, wooll, any stuff almost, or mettle ; and yet Hungary, Transilvania, that brag of their mines, fertile England, cannot compare with them.

    Synonyms

    * (quality of endurance and courage) courage, heart, spirit

    Related terms

    * mettlesome