feeble
/ˈfiːbəl/adjective
feeble is spelled F-E-E-B-L-E: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 1.6 times per million words in written English, the 22,073rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, feeble means “Deficient in physical strength” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in feeble?
| Letters | 6: F-E-E-B-L-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 1.6 times per million words; the 22,073rd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is feeble?
Feeble appears 1.6 times per million words in written English, the 22,073rd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce feeble?
- /ˈfiːbəl/
Feeble has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-feeble.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of feeble
- feebler comparative
- feeblest superlative
- feebles present, singular, he/she/it
- feebling participle, present
- feebled participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does feeble mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Deficient in physical strength.
Though she appeared old and feeble, she could still throw a ball.
- 2
Lacking force, vigor, or effectiveness in action or expression; faint.
That was a feeble excuse for an example.
verb
- 1
obsoleteTo make feeble; to enfeeble.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Feeble in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | faible |
| German | kraftlos, schwach , dürftig |
| Portuguese | fraco , debilitado |
| Spanish | débil, endeble, feble , deficiente, flébil |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does feeble come from?
From Middle English feble, from Anglo-Norman feble (“weak, feeble”) (compare French faible), from Latin flēbilis (“tearful, mournful, lamentable”) by dissimilation, from fleō (“to weep, cry”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰleh₁-. Doublet of foible.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).