Weak vs Undermine - What's the difference?
weak | undermine |
Lacking in force (usually strength) or ability.
* Shakespeare
* Dryden
Unable to sustain a great weight, pressure, or strain.
Unable to withstand temptation, urgency, persuasion, etc.; easily impressed, moved, or overcome; accessible; vulnerable.
* Joseph Addison, The Fair Petinent Act I, scene I:
Dilute, lacking in taste or potency.
*
, title=The Mirror and the Lamp
, chapter=2 (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
Not having power to convince; not supported by force of reason or truth; unsustained.
* Milton
Lacking in vigour or expression.
Not prevalent or effective, or not felt to be prevalent; not potent; feeble.
* Shakespeare
(stock exchange) Tending towards lower prices.
To dig underneath (something), to make a passage or for destructive or military purposes; to sap.
* 2009 , (Diarmaid MacCulloch), A History of Christianity , Penguin 2010, p. 312:
(figuratively) To weaken or work against; to hinder, sabotage.
* {{quote-news, year=2012, date=April 19, author=Josh Halliday, work=the Guardian
, title=
As an adjective weak
is lacking in force (usually strength) or ability.As a verb undermine is
to dig underneath (something), to make a passage or for destructive or military purposes; to sap.weak
English
Adjective
(er)- a poor, infirm, weak , and despised old man
- weak with hunger, mad with love
- a weak''' timber; a '''weak rope
- weak''' resolutions; '''weak virtue
- Guard thy heart / On this weak side, where most our nature fails.
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.}}
- If evil thence ensue, / She first his weak indulgence will accuse.
- The prosecution advanced a weak case.
- convinced of his weak arguing
- a weak''' sentence; a '''weak style
- weak prayers
- a weak market
Synonyms
* (lacking in force or ability) feeble, frail, powerless, vincible, assailable ,vulnerable * (lacking in taste or potency) dilute, watery * See alsoAntonyms
* (lacking in force or ability) healthy, powerful, robust, strong, invincible * (lacking in taste or potency) potent, robust, strongDerived terms
* weaken * weakling * weakness * weak sisterAnagrams
* 1000 English basic words ----undermine
English
Verb
(undermin)- Martin, for instance, had on one occasion undermined a tree sacred to old gods, then stood in the path of its fall, but forced it to fall elsewhere by making the sign of the Cross.
Free speech haven or lawless cesspool – can the internet be civilised?, passage=The growing use of social media to spread anger and dissent in the Arab world has been hailed by western governments as one of the chief justifications for a completely unfettered internet. The US is reportedly funding the secret rollout of technology in Iran in an effort to undermine internet censors in the country.}}